


Companiontale

by InkForOne



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: F/M, Falling after Frisk, Following Frisk through the Underground, OC has no reset powers, OC is an adult, OC is kind of clueless, Pacifist Frisk, Pacifist OC, Pacifist Route, Papyrus is a cinnamon roll, Papyrus is still the best, Queen Toriel Ending, Sans is wary of OC, Slow Burn, Yellow Soul is not a child, how does this barrier thing work anyway, i mean their souls are made of love and compassion, monsters fall in love really quickly, search and rescue mission, that makes sense right?
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-14
Updated: 2018-07-25
Packaged: 2018-10-18 19:52:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 17
Words: 63,693
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10623993
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/InkForOne/pseuds/InkForOne
Summary: She never expected to find the child.After all, people who climb Mt. Ebott are never seen again. Even the sheriff in charge of cold cases went missing on that mountain. Even on a team of dozens scouring the area for any shred of evidence, she didn't think she would find anything but a corpse, if she stumbled across anything at all.But then she found the cave. She found the hole.And something pulled her into the Underground.Now she must find Frisk and get them home, or die trying. As much as she's focused on the task at hand, there are those in the Underground who don't want her to leave, but don't want her dead either. Can she make friends along her journey and prove that humans aren't all bad? Can she find Frisk in time before its too late? Can she talk some sense into King Asgore?And will she want to leave after meeting the most beautiful person in the Underground?Will she even have a choice if the force that brought her here comes back to finish what he started?





	1. The Search

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Healingtale](https://archiveofourown.org/works/8140277) by [kairi196](https://archiveofourown.org/users/kairi196/pseuds/kairi196). 



> First off, a disclaimer: I don't own Undertale in any respect. All rights to Toby Fox.
> 
> Secondly, credit where credit is due: I was heavily inspired by kairi196's beautiful fic "Healingtale". It's wonderful, you guys, go check it out!
> 
> Anyway, there's not a lot of Papyrus fics out there, so I thought I'd add one to the pot. I hope you enjoy!

The wind howled around her as she pushed onward up the mountain. She paused to call out for the child, but she heard nothing but the gale. “Frisk!” she called again, but there came no answer.

Search teams had been dispersed over Mt. Ebott to look for a small, brunette child, and so far, the little kid remained lost. They were an orphan, and the local children's home had been up in a frenzy since Frisk had disappeared, though the community's one solace were two witnesses who said they saw the child running towards Ebott yesterday around noon. Authorities were called, search parties formed, but now, over twenty-four hours later, Frisk was still missing.

Sadie glanced down at her watch and sighed. She was due to report to her team leader in five minutes, so she swept her flashlight over the vicinity one last time, checking the dry path for any footprints or, heaven forbid, blood or drag marks. She saw nothing; it was time to head back.

This wasn't the first time the local community had been faced with a search-and-rescue mission. Though she had just turned twelve at the time, she remembered vividly the news crews and search parties and local efforts to find Sheriff Randy McGill, who had an interest in the local folklore surrounding the mountain. The sheriff was in charge of cold cases at the local station, and four missing persons cases that seemed linked to Ebott spurred his desire to visit the area ten years ago and investigate privately, or so the police department theorized. No one knew for sure what had happened to him. He had only informed his sister that he was going to the mountain, but he never reported back to her, or to anyone. He was lost on the mountain, like the four others before him, and his name was added to the missing case files he had put so much effort into solving. Hopefully Frisk's name would not be added as a sixth file.

“You should eat something,” her team leader said after she reported no sighting of the child. “They've got sandwiches at the supply station.”

She reluctantly obeyed, quickly scarfing down her food so she could get back to the search. Every minute they delayed for rest or food was another minute Frisk was in danger. They had just turned nine according to the records, and though a child that age was resourceful and braver than a younger kid, still...nine was awfully young to be fending for oneself in the wilderness.

She stared down at the black-and-white photocopy of Frisk's picture, the paper rustling in the breeze. _Blue and pink striped sweater, jean capris, dark brown sneakers. Brown hair and eyes, 4'2". May have speaking impediment or learning disability._

She searched further up the path as the clock raced towards midnight, and she kept calling the child's name over and over in the faint and fleeting hope that they would hear, but also to keep wild animals at bay.

One o'clock came and went, and Sadie pushed further up Ebott, now straying out of earshot of her fellow rescuers. The trees grew thicker here, the underbrush creating a lush carpet of foliage beneath the eaves, and the branches above her head blocked out moon and starlight.

The next check-in wouldn't be for another half-hour, but the rescuers had been instructed to keep in sight of their team, so others didn't go missing along with Frisk. However, something pulled her forward and called her up the mountain. The night air was thick with tension here, the wind unable to penetrate the solid line of trees. The path winded further and further into the wilds, but she pressed on. Somehow, she had the feeling that Frisk had gone this way, perhaps had felt this strange desire to come along this wild path towards the very top of Mt. Ebott.

The cold bit her as she pushed through the underbrush. She was due back in ten minutes, so she had a few moments to look around this strange place. A cave entrance yawned in front of her, dark and silent as it waited solemnly in the faint moonlight. This was a lonely place, but she felt a tingle in the air, as if this location held ancient secrets. The sensation that she was somehow stepping back in time struck her, and she slowly progressed forward, quickly checking her watch one more time. _Eight minutes_.

A mournful dripping sound was the only noise that greeted her as she cautiously stepped into the cave. She pointed her flashlight at the ceiling and at the walls, and then to the floor before proceeding forward. She was glad she had had the foresight to do so, as the floor ten feet in front of her was completely missing. A gigantic hole stretched in front of her, dark and cold and silent as the cave in which it was housed. Her heartbeat increased in anticipation, and she crept forward, getting down on hands and knees as she approached the edge of the hole.

Her flashlight barely penetrated the darkness, perhaps only letting her see ten feet down into the chasm, and from what she could see and feel and hear, this gaping rift in the floor went down much further than that. She quickly swept her flashlight around the rest of the cave, but there was no sign of life around the edge of the hole. It made her sick to think it, but it seemed that if the child had come here, they had most likely fallen into the hole, down into whatever was under Mt. Ebott. She quickly pushed herself back from the edge of the chasm, and her leg hit something hard and smooth as she settled back on her knees.

All around the hole grew vines and weeds, and dead leaves had been caught up in the tangled underbrush. Hidden amongst the aging growth gleamed an old, rusted badge. She fished it from its cage of vines and leaves and wiped it clean of dirt, and her heart stopped as she made out the faded embossing. _Sheriff Randy McGill, Ebott Town Police Department._

She breathed out slowly, forcing herself to at least try to be calm. So the sheriff had been here, or someone with his stolen belongings had been here, perhaps to dispose of a body down this hole. After all, it was so far up the mountain and so deep in the earth that recovery options were exceedingly limited. Either way, if Frisk had come here on their own and fallen in, or if someone had killed them and dumped the body here, the police needed to see this place.

She pocketed the badge and picked up her flashlight, turning to leave this sad, horrible place. But before she could even take another step forward, something wrapped around her legs and tugged her backward, and she stumbled towards the hole, a scream escaping from her mouth as she fought to keep on her feet. Another pull sent her flying back as she lost her footing, and her arms flailed helplessly as the back of her shins caught the edge of the chasm. Her hand gripped desperately at thin air, and it was too late to make an effort to save herself somehow. She fell down into the chasm, screaming at the top of her lungs all the way down, certain that she would most likely die. But though her fall was long and she hit the bottom of the rift hard, she knew somehow that she wasn't dead. A darkness even greater than the pitch black of the hole overcame her vision, and she was lost to the world as the impact sent her into oblivion.

…

Something soft and smooth like satin tickled her nose as she came to, the rich loamy smell of plant life filling her nostrils. She saw gold as she slowly opened her eyes; flowers surrounded her, and it seemed the patch of flora had somehow softened her fall. They twinkled in the dim light, and despite herself and her situation, she smiled at the sight of them. The petals nearest her nose ruffled as she slowly breathed out.

She sat up gingerly, evaluating herself for any serious injuries, but she found none to speak of, just a few bruises and sore spots where she had hit the ground the hardest. She looked up at the ceiling of the cavern, and her heart sank into her shoes as she saw just how far above her the hole was. With a fall that far, she was lucky to even still be breathing. Had the kid been as lucky? Or, when she stopped looking at that far-away circle of light, would she find herself sitting next to a corpse?

She closed her eyes and mentally steeled herself for that possibility, and it was with a sickened stomach and tears in her eyes that she finally made herself scan the area around her.

There was nothing but the flowers.

She breathed out, making herself stand and further get her bearings. Just because the kid wasn't dead beside her didn't mean they might not be nearby. But first, she needed her flashlight, if it wasn't broken. She spotted it at the edge of the patch of flowers, and she scrambled for it, quickly switching on the light. But it sputtered weakly, then went out, and no matter how many times she tried to make it work, it refused to light. She sighed, setting it down beside her in the bed of flowers, and she looked around without the aid of light. The cavern she had fallen into was small, hardly thirty feet wide or long, about the size of a waiting room, but she noticed a passage to her left, empty and dark. She first scoured the corners of the cave, feeling and searching for any sign of the child, or of anyone else who had fallen here. She found no bones, old clothes or personal belongings. The place was empty, the child nowhere in sight.

Tears pricked her eyes as she searched the other side of the room. If the child wasn't here, and the sheriff's remains were nowhere to be seen, it was possible she was wrong about thinking they had come here. She had been so sure before, but doubt gnawed at her as she continued to find nothing but dust and pebbles among the nooks and crannies of the cavern. How could I have been so stupid and reckless? she thought to herself. What was I thinking, losing sight of my team? I should have never set foot in that cave.

She felt ashamed of herself for her foolishness, and for being so scared, and she breathed out slowly again, trying to get a hold of her tears. If the child was here, and unhurt, and if they were as adventurous as they seemed (and one would have to be that or very distraught to have come so far up the mountain), then they would have pressed onward in search of another exit. Sadie looked once more up to the hole above her, tears streaming down her cheeks, but she sighed again, resolving to find either the child or an exit or both. Judging by the light, it was morning up on the surface, so she had been out for at least five hours, but probably more. And if the child was here, they had a day's head start on her, so she needed to move quickly.

She didn't feel much in the way of hope as she picked up the broken flashlight and proceeded into the passage, but her interest was peaked as she noted the stone walls were very smooth, as if they had been carved instead of made by nature. But what was truly fascinating was the door at the end of the short channel was a door, which was most definitely not nature-made. It was tall, flanked by Corinthian-style pillars, and sported an archway above, into which was carved a symbol: a winged circle above three triangles, two right-side up and one below, inverted.

Everyone in Ebott Town knew about the legends surrounding the mountain, but few put stock in them. After all, what rational person believed that monsters had lived among humans a thousand years ago, and were sealed beneath the earth in an ancient prison? She doubted someone like Sheriff McGill had believed the stories, but perhaps someone was using the legends as a cover for their crimes, or perhaps the allure of the legends and the general mystery of Ebott was enough to draw wayward children or reckless teens into the hands of some serial killer, and thence McGill had gone to find answers. But this carving, this door...did someone once live down here? Was there perhaps some sort of community under the mountain that had made the passage and the door?

She passed under the archway, chills racing up her spine. If she weren't so worried about the child and her own life, this would be a thrilling mystery.

But her focus had to be on finding Frisk. The next room didn't house anything interesting, just a stray patch of grass underneath a patch of sunlight streaming from some crack in the cavern's ceiling. The room was empty otherwise, and she saw no sign of Frisk or any human remains. She cursed her broken flashlight, as making a thorough scan of the cave would be easier if it were on. So she moved on, through another door that looked almost identical to the first she had seen, through which light was streaming.

The next room was much brighter, with purplish stone walls and floors, and a double staircase leading up to another door. Auburn leaves crinkled beneath her feet as she walked over them to the stairs; if this wasn't some vivid hallucination, if this was indeed all real, then there was certainly much more to this place than just some cave in the earth. She had seen signs that the cave had been carved and tailored by hand, using tools or some other craft beyond her knowledge. Besides the staircase, the walls were neatly lined with brick, though they looked far too old to have been laid by modern means. This entire place felt old, the stale air filled with the smell of loam and dust and old, rotting leaves. It was a melancholy place, but somehow, despite the desperate situation and her hopeless search, she felt a thrill run up her back just looking up at the door. It felt as if going through the door would lead to the beginning of a great journey, filled with mystery and adventure and unknown danger. She breathed in, trying to still her racing heart, and she hurried up the steps and entered the next room.

The first thing she noticed was a series of switches on the floor, great stone slabs raised around a lighter stripe of the floor. Leaves scuttled across stone as she bent to examine the slabs, and she saw that, of the six slabs (arranged two-one-two-one from top to bottom), only the rows of two were depressed. As she examined this mystery further, she noted this lighter stripe of floor was also arranged as a path from the door she had come from to the next door. A gray plaque of sorts was hung on the far wall, and she went to read it.

_Only the fearless may proceed. Brave ones, foolish ones. Both walk not the middle road._

The poetry confounded her, and didn't reveal much about what was to come, only that there would be danger ahead. She breathed out slowly, hoping that Frisk was still alive.

The next room contained two waterways with bridges across, and she noted three yellow switches on the wall, and there were messages scrawled beside two of them. She moved closer to read the first one.

_Please press this switch._   
_-Toriel_

Who is Toriel? She saw a similar message written next to the other switch, and the lighter path seemed to agree with the message. There was no path to the third switch. The door to the next room had some sort of barrier embedded in the threshold, but presumably since both switches had been activated, the trap was depressed at the moment, allowing her to proceed. She paused at the door, worried that the trap would reset just as she stepped over it, but she steeled her nerve and stepped through anyway. Nothing happened.

Onward the lighter path led, past a training dummy and up into another room. As she was coming around the corner and decided to read a plaque on the wall, she saw movement out of the corner of her eye. A scream caught in her throat as a gigantic frog creature leapt into the path, croaking mournfully as it looked up at her. It was as tall as a collie and wider than she was, its pale skin smooth and matte. Her racing heart beat faster as the cave went black, and the only thing she could see was the frog creature, waiting patiently in front of her.

Out of her chest floated a blue heart, and it hovered close to her, almost glowing in the darkness. And at waist level appeared the name “Froggit”, and four words:

_FIGHT. ACT. ITEM. MERCY._

She stared at these four words, utterly baffled at what was happening. The frog did not attack her, and it seemed it was waiting for her to make the first move. She wondered if she had an option to run away from the creature, but the ACT menu only revealed the option to Check, Compliment, or Threaten. She had no items, and under MERCY she could either Spare or Flee. The frog blinked, staring mournfully at her with big black eyes.

She was frightened, yes, more frightened than she remembered being in her life, but even as she considered her options, the frog did not attack. It waited, so she turned to her options again, and decided to flee.

Immediately, the world came back and she was free from the darkness, and she ran past the frog creature and hurried on, only to be stopped by spikes. Twisting around, she saw the frog creature was still there, slowly approaching her.

“ _Ribbit, ribbit_ ,” it croaked deeply, stopping a few feet in front of her. “Excuse me, human. Why did you run from me?”

_The frog is talking. A gigantic frog is talking to me. This really is a hallucination..._

“Oh God,” she said aloud to herself. “I must be going crazy...”

The frog creature slowly drew closer. “Excuse me, human. I am sorry that I frightened you. If it makes you feel better, you frighten me too.”

She blinked, slightly stunned. “So...I'm not crazy?”

“I cannot tell, human. I am not a doctor. There are monsters beyond the Ruins who are doctors, but I am simply a Froggit.”

“What do you mean by monsters?”

“You're in the underground, human. We monsters have lived here for a thousand years, trapped in the mountain by the barrier.”

She frowned, and it was a while before she could find what to say. “Please excuse all my questions, I'm still trying to process this. What kind of barrier is it?”

“It was formed by human mages a thousand years ago, after the war between humans and monsters. We lost the war and were sealed underground as punishment.”

She thought this over, grateful that the - what did it call itself? A Froggit? - was patient with her and answered her questions.

“So, um, Mr. Froggit...just now, when the world went dark...what was that?”

“You and I entered a FIGHT. If it is alright, human, we could enter a FIGHT together so I may explain.”

She hesitated. “Can you promise I won't get hurt? I don't want to hurt you, and I'd rather not get hurt either.”

“I promise you, human, on my word as a Froggit, I will not hurt you. Your soul is much more powerful than monster souls, and you could easily kill me, if you tried. Do I have your word that you will not hurt me? Please, human, use some MERCY.”

“I promise you, Mr. Froggit, I will not hurt you. I just want to learn.”

It nodded and leaped closer, and once again the world went dark.

That floating blue heart escaped her chest again, and the Froggit spoke across the battlefield. “That is your soul, the very culmination of your being. When you enter a FIGHT, you have the option to FIGHT, ACT, use an ITEM, or use MERCY. If you FIGHT long enough, or ACT a certain way, the monster won't want to fight you any longer, and their name will turn yellow. Then you may Spare them. As I said, human, you are stronger than monsters. Please use MERCY, if you can.”

She noticed its name had turned yellow, so she chose MERCY, then Spare. The world returned.

“Very good, human. Thank you for Sparing me. I should mention, most monsters will give you Gold in thanks for Sparing them. Here, take this, and good luck.”

It left two gold coins on the ground and turned to leave, but she remembered why she had come down here in the first place. With the shock of seeing such a large creature and learning it was sentient, her purpose had escaped her.

“Wait! Mr. Froggit?”

The monster turned back to her, its wide black eyes curious as it gazed up at her. “Yes, human?” it croaked.

She pulled the piece of paper from her pocket and showed Frisk's picture to it. “Have you seen this child?”

The Froggit considered the paper, blinking languidly. “Yes, the human child came through here the day before yesterday with Toriel. I must confess, human...it has been a long time since one of your kind has come through the Ruins. I was startled at the sight of the child, and I entered a FIGHT with them. But Toriel prevented me from harming them. We're all too intimidated to stand up to her, or even talk to her.”

“Who is Toriel?”

“She is the caretaker of the Ruins. From what I could see, she had taken the human child into her care. Several of my friends saw the child two days ago as they explored the Ruins. By now they will have gone to Toriel's home, and are most likely resting there.”

Sadie put the paper back into her pocket and thanked the Froggit profusely for its information and help, and it hopped away, blushing. She picked up its offering, her fingers brushing the rusty badge in her pocket, then turned her attention to the puzzle ahead, her focus once again on the task before her.


	2. Toriel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sadie continues her journey through the Ruins, and meets a certain goat monster.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The journey continues! I'm so glad everyone is enjoying this so far. Thank you so much for the kind reviews and the kudos! I really appreciate it!

All in all, it took her perhaps twenty minutes to count out all the steps necessary to get through the spike puzzle, and she allowed herself a minute after making it through, to still her pounding heart. She hadn't seen any more monsters thus far, but perhaps as she went further into this labyrinth of rooms, she may find more, but hopefully she would find the kid first.

 

The next room was extremely long, but she encountered no monsters. She did, however, see another Froggit in the room after, and she braced herself for another fight. It did not attack her, but watched her pass by into the northern room, its eyes dark and curious as she skirted around it. “Thank you for not attacking me,” she whispered to it before turning back to her task. It simply nodded and let out a deep croak.

 

In the northern room sat a candy dish on a pedestal, and though the child was nowhere to be seen, there was still candy in the dish. _Please take one_ , a note by the dish read, but she decided to leave it be. She didn't know what was in the candy, if it was poisonous or if she might be allergic to it. Better safe than sorry. She re-entered the previous room and thanked the Froggit once again for not attacking her, and wished it a good day.

 

“Thank you, human,” it croaked (happily?). “I hope you have a pleasant day as well.”

 

She was just about to exit the room when she felt her soul being pulled out of her chest. She had entered another FIGHT, and though she thought wildly for a moment that the Froggit had decided to attack her after all, instead there floated before her a small, timid creature, who looked something like a cross between insect and fairy. Whimsun looked very sad, and she saw in her ACT menu the option to Console. She chose it, but before she could even tell it that she wouldn't hurt it, it fled from her, and she blinked in confusion as the world returned.

 

The Froggit had watched the entire exchange with interest, so she returned to it. “Was it something I said, or...?”

 

“Whimsun is very sensitive, though you were kind to it. The other human was very kind as well. They encountered two monsters in this room and spared both. They seemed like they were enjoying themselves, though you look rather frightened. Do we frighten you, human?”

 

She sighed, rubbing the back of her neck. “I am scared, Mr. Froggit, and I'm scared for the kid. I just wish I could have been here sooner. Even if we fell down here, we could have gone through this together.”

 

“It is always nice to have a friend,” Froggit replied sagely. “And from the looks of it, we monsters might make a friend in you.”

 

She smiled and continued on her path.

 

The next monster encounter, though, made her realize just how much danger she and the child were in. She chose to Compliment the Froggit she encountered, and it blushed furiously (apparently Froggits could blush...who knew?). But with its turn, it leapt at her, and she scrambled to move her soul away from the attack. But then it was her turn again, and with its name turned yellow, she could Spare the monster and move on.

 

Its attack wasn't too bad, and neither was her FIGHT with Moldsmal, but she moved further in and encountered harder FIGHTs, growing more nervous as time went on. A creature named Loox landed a hit on her with its glowing circle attack, and she felt pain lace up her spine as one of the circles touched her ultramarine soul. She let out a gasp, but steeled her nerve and finished the FIGHT. Loox crept away, leaving its offering of gold on the ground for her, and she continued on.

 

It seemed monsters had their own culture down here, small and quaint, yes, but still thriving. She saw a sign advertising a Spider Bake Sale, and by now, having skipped breakfast, she needed something just to keep her going. So she backtracked (mentally kicking herself for not checking the room beforehand) and found the sale.

 

She didn't have enough gold for a Spider Cider, but she had enough for a Spider Donut. She left seven gold pieces in the web, and spiders crawled down and lifted a donut above their tiny little heads.

 

“Thank you,” she whispered, and she could have sworn she heard them giggling. “Good luck with your bake sale!”

 

The spiders skittered off, and she took a careful bite of the donut, quickly moving on. It seemed less and less likely that Frisk was in this place, as the Froggits had confirmed that they had gone with Toriel to her home. She hoped she would find Toriel's home sooner rather than later. The Froggits were intimidated by this person (monster? creature? woman?), but Frisk had gone with her, and from the little writing she had seen, Toriel seemed nice enough. Polite, motherly even, and if the Froggit's word was true and Frisk had taken every care to not harm these monsters, hopefully Toriel would show them mercy in return.

 

Or the polite writing could have been a ruse, and Toriel was evil and Frisk was now dead, and Sadie was now walking to her grave. That, she supposed, was a possibility too. Her stomach sank at the thought, but she tried to be hopeful. It was the only thing she had in this forsaken place.

 

She encountered a Vegetoid next, though she was glad she had finished off her donut before it attacked her. The FIGHT was harder than the others, as none of the actions she had available made much sense. What in the world did Dinner even do? She didn't want to eat it. Wouldn't that count as an attack? The last thing she wanted was to give these creatures an excuse to hurt her.

 

The Vegetoid smiled, and soon she was dodging a shower of vegetables. Normally she wouldn't mind that, as she liked carrots and tomatoes and the like as much as the next person, but it managed to lay two hits on her, and she nearly keeled over from the sheer pain of it.

 

She tried to Talk to it, to no effect, and she miraculously managed to dodge all of its attacks. Uncertain of what to do, she chose to Flee, and she ran as fast as she could from it, straight into a something soft, yet solid.

 

Sadie was knocked back on her bottom, and she looked up at what she had run into in blind panic.

 

Before her stood a goat monster wearing long purple robes and a kindly expression. The monster's red eyes were bright with surprise, and she gasped, holding a furry paw up to her mouth. “Oh dear,” the monster said, bending to help her up. “I did not mean to startle you. Do not be alarmed, my child, I will not harm you. I am Toriel, caretaker of the Ruins.”

 

She gasped. “Then you've seen–” She paused, hesitant, and Toriel blinked, patiently waiting for an answer. Despite this (and a general gut feeling that this goat monster was true to her word), she decided to be cautious.

 

“I'm Sadie Baker,” she said slowly. “Nice to meet you.”

 

Toriel beamed. “It is wonderful to meet you, my child. Are you hurt? Please, let me heal you.”

 

She raised her furry hands, which lit up with a reddish-purple aura. Sadie immediately stiffened, but relaxed at the goat monster's hurt expression; her gut told her it was alright, that this person meant her no harm. Toriel extended her hands towards her, and the aura followed, enveloping her in a sense of warmth and safety. Her pain eased, her wounds were stitched before her very eyes, and when Toriel withdrew, it left her feeling nothing but peace. Perhaps this woman wasn't so bad after all. Besides, unless she was truly sadistic, why would she heal her if she was just going to eat or kill her later? Still, it was best to be cautious.

 

“I'm sure you must be very confused,” the goat monster said, and Sadie couldn't help but let out a nervous chuckle in agreement. “Come, child, let's talk over tea.”

 

So Toriel solved the last puzzle and led Sadie to her home, which was a cozy little house tucked away in a corner of the Ruins. The interior was done in warm, earthy hues, with potted plants, artwork on the walls and wood floors throughout. It seemed like a comfortable place, and Toriel set her down at the table and set about making tea, which only took a minute. But with the goat monster's return came a heavenly smell, and she discovered it was a pie, obviously homemade, that was responsible for that delicious aroma.

 

“Would you care for some butterscotch-cinnamon pie, my child?”

  
She hesitated, but the smell of the dish wouldn't let her say no. She agreed, and Toriel handed her a large slice of the pie.

 

“Ms. Toriel?” she began once the goat monster sat down at the table. Toriel smiled at her.

 

“Yes, my child?”  
  


Sadie took a deep breath. “Where is Frisk?”

 

Those three words seemed to wound Toriel, and the goat monster couldn't meet her eyes for a few minutes. Sadie started to panic, all of her previous concerns coming back, and she dared not take a bite of the pie (probably poisoned). Her heart pounded in her chest, and she was just debating whether or not to run when Toriel spoke again.

 

“The human child decided to leave the Ruins yesterday morning. They have gone on into the Underground, to find Asgore. To leave this place. It was not right to keep them here.”

 

“So...they're gone now?”

 

Toriel nodded sadly, and she noted tears in the goat monster's eyes. “You...seem to be taking it rather hard,” she whispered, then mentally kicked herself for being so obvious and tactless.

 

“Oh my child, they were very sweet, and so young too...one of the youngest I've seen. Many have come through here, and all of them have left.” Tears streamed down her furry cheeks. “All have died at Asgore's hands.”

 

Sadie gasped, her heart dropping into her stomach, and Toriel looked up at her with mournful eyes. “I tried to detain the child, to keep them here and protect them from harm. I know I do not have much, and the Ruins are small once you get used to them...in the end, they were determined to make the journey to Asgore. I would go with them, but others might fall, like you did. And you required my assistance just as the child did.”

 

Toriel tried to get a hold of herself, wiping away her tears, and Sadie sighed, relaxing a fraction. “Well...a kid who got an entire town out to look for them won't be stopped by a goat monster.”

 

The woman chuckled, wiping away the last of her tears. “I suppose not. They are so filled with determination, yet they were so good to the monsters here...it has been so long since I have had company, I...I forgot myself...I wish there was more I could do to help them...”

 

Sadie nodded, carefully reaching out to touch her shoulder, and Toriel did not flinch from the contact, but rather laid a furry hand over Sadie's hand. Something jostled in her memory, and she felt the rusty badge in her pocket dig into her thigh.

 

“You say others have come through here...did you by chance meet Sheriff Randy McGill?”

 

Toriel started at the name. “Yes...the bearded human ch—well, I suppose he was a man...yes, he fell down here many years ago. He was the last to come through before the child fell two days ago. He was strong and courageous, and though he did not hurt me...I fear he may have hurt other monsters along his journey.”

 

“What happened to him? You say all the others died, but is the sheriff in that score, or...?”  
  


“If the sheriff met Asgore, then it is likely he is dead. The King is collecting soul power, my child, so we can break the barrier and be free of this place. Word has it that he has collected six souls thus far...and it would take the power equivalent to seven human souls to break the barrier. I hope the child can talk some sense into the King, but...I do not know what will happen.”

 

Toriel stood. “I would offer to let you stay with me, but I know you are determined to move on as well, and find the child. I...I'll make some more tea. Please, try the pie. Monster food does not spoil as human food does. It is as good as it was the day I made it.”

 

She looked down at the pie, still perfuming the room with its warm, buttery scent, and she took a small bite. She bit back a moan and dug into the pie, a small part of her not really caring at this point if this was poisoned or not. It was just too good, and it was gone in less than two minutes.

 

“Wow, Ms. Toriel, you really know your way around pie.” She walked with her plate to the kitchen and made to wash it, but a furry hand took it from her and gently pushed her to the side.

 

“Let me handle the dishes, my child. Unless you would like another piece?”

 

Sadie sighed. “Could I maybe have one for the road? I don't know how many monsters I'll meet along the way, and if they'll want to FIGHT me...and I don't know if there's food along the way, or how long the road is.”

 

Toriel shook her head. “Of course you may take some pie with you. I wish I would have offered more to the child, but...their complete resolve to leave me after all those years alone...”

 

Sadie's stomach dropped again, and she wondered wildly if Toriel was lying. _No,_ she told herself. _No, she's a kind monster. She's just lonely._

 

“If...if I find Frisk, and we managed to find a way back home...can we come visit you again before we go?”

 

Toriel's eyes filled with tears again. “Oh, I think I would like that very much, my child...but the pain of saying goodbye a second time...I do not know if I could bear it. I asked that they not come back, but...perhaps that decision was made too hastily...”

 

She nodded. “I think I understand. But in any case...thank you for taking care of them. We were so scared...when I saw the hole that leads to the underground, I thought...” She swallowed thickly. “I can't even say it...”

 

Toriel frowned. “You thought the worst? You thought the child had tried to...”

 

“No, even worse.” She took a deep breath. “I thought another human threw them in. That's what we all thought in the back of our minds.”

 

The goat monster gasped at her admission, and though the statement was dark, it was nice to unload some fear and remind herself that Frisk had gone through the Ruins with a bright attitude, and had been kind to the monsters they encountered. Though Sadie wouldn't have blamed them if they had attacked something, it comforted her to think that Frisk was putting their best foot forward and treating these beings with compassion and mercy, as the Froggit had asked her to do. After all, these beings were sentient, living out their own little lives down here in the darkness. How long had it said they had been down here? A thousand years? A century without sunlight or moon, without fresh air or ocean vistas or the smell of a pine forest or snowy winter days or staring up at the stars...

 

Her thought process was broken when Toriel pressed a refilled mug of tea into her hands, and they both went back to the table, where they sat in silence for a little while. Sadie sipped at her tea (which was really very good) and contemplated the journey ahead of her.

 

“You said there were others looking for the child,” Toriel said slowly. “Your town came together for a search?”

 

“Yes,” she replied, and sighed, staring down at the table. “We were supposed to stay within earshot of our team at all times while we searched the trails. But I...I felt something pulling me out of earshot, further up the mountain...like I couldn't help myself...and then I found that cave and that hole, and then...next thing I know I'm here.” She closed her eyes. “I can't believe I could be so stupid.”

 

She could hear the frown in Toriel's voice. “Do not berate yourself, my child. If you had not fallen down here, you could not have assisted the child as you are about to do. You are of little use to them up on the surface.”

 

Tears pricked her eyes, but she held them back. “But I'm not much use down here either. I'm no good at FIGHTs. I keep getting hit, and I can't dodge to save my life...literally. When I ran into you, I was running from a Vegetoid. A few more hits and I wouldn't be here.”

 

She felt a furry hand touch her arm, and she looked up at her hostess with blurred vision. “I don't even know where to look for them, or where they've gone.”

 

“The Underground is not as complex as you think,” she replied gently. “The main path is very clear, and leads straight to the capital. They will have taken that path as their quickest route to go home. Simply follow it, and you will find the child. And the monsters along the way will have seen them too, and can point you in the right direction.”  
  
She took her empty mug and stood. “As for FIGHTs...you must avoid them when you can. I will give you some pie to take with you. You can use these in battle to heal yourself.”

 

Toriel's gaze was suddenly hard, yet distant, and Sadie felt a tingling sensation all along her scalp and spine. Then the sensation was gone, and Toriel relaxed.

 

“You have more HP than the child, but it is lower than I expected for someone your age. They only had 20, but you are at 25, so at least you have a little bit of leeway in a FIGHT.” The goat monster considered her for a moment, her expression rather sad. “But why is your HP so low? I would think someone like you would have at least 30 HP. Has this journey drained your Hope so much, my child?”

 

“What do you mean by Hope?”

 

“The drive to keep living...the will to go on despite adversity. You have it, my child, I know you do. You have come so far already for Frisk's sake, but if you continue on your current path, you must believe that you can make a difference, no matter how small. The child needs you. For them at least, you must be strong, but please...be strong for yourself too. You have not harmed my brethren. You have been kind, and gentle, and honest. You are very good, my child...there is more out there for you. Please...have the bravery to find it.”

 

Sadie's eyes filled with tears, and Toriel knelt in front of her. “Please, my child...promise me you'll always remember: you are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think. And no matter what happens...the thoughts of all monsters go with you. We believe in you. I believe in you. I believe you can do what must be done to protect the child and go home.”

 

“Thank you, Toriel,” she croaked, then swallowed her tears. “Ok, enough crying...I know. I know I have to be strong for Frisk. As far as I know, I'm all they've got out there.”

 

She stood and squared her shoulders, wiping the last of her tears with her sleeve. She was still scared, yes, and worried about herself and Frisk, but a feeling of resolve grew within her; she didn't have much in the way of Hope, but knowing that she was the only one she knew that could help this child stay alive...she was resolved to finish this task or die trying.

 

Toriel packed her the rest of the pie (three large pieces) into a small rucksack and led her downstairs to the exit of the Ruins. She showed her the door, a sad expression on her face as she turned to the human.

 

Suddenly she was surrounded by warm fur and soft robes, and she quickly returned the hug, holding onto the monster for a good five minutes. “Thank you for everything,” she whispered. “Thank you so much...I can't tell you how grateful I am for what you've done...for me and Frisk.”

 

“Promise me you'll remember what I said?” Toriel whispered hoarsely.

 

“I promise.” Her voice was firm and solid, and they broke apart, looking over each other for the last time.

 

“Ms. Toriel...can we come back and visit?” Sadie asked after a moment's hesitation.

 

The goat monster's eyes glistened with unshed tears. “My child...yes, of course you can come back and visit...I would like that very much. Please, be good, alright?”

 

She nodded, somehow knowing it was not a request for her to show mercy. She had come this far without killing any monsters, so could she not go the rest of the journey with kindness in her heart? She didn't want to kill anyone. She just wanted to find Frisk and go home.

 

They embraced again, and with one last look back at the kindly goat monster who had saved her, Sadie squared her shoulders, adjusted the rucksack and opened the door to the rest of the Underground.

 

…

 

Papyrus strode confidently through the snow, smiling to himself as he passed his sentry station. He had no time to dawdle there, though, as he was filling in for his brother. Sans had mentioned briefly that the human had entered the Core an hour ago, and seeing as they hadn't yet made it to Asgore's castle, Sans had a little downtime before he was needed as Arbiter. But instead of using that time towards something productive, of course Sans was nowhere to be found. He was most likely lazing about at home, or at Grillby's, or maybe he was selling hot dogs again.

 

Either way, someone had to continue keeping watch in Snowdin Forest, and since the rest of the Royal Guard were also still lingering in Grillby's, Papyrus took it upon himself to take up the watch and wait for any other humans to come through. Sans said no other humans would come, but what did he know? Every day was a day that a human might need to be captured and delivered to the capital! And, as was procedure, he recalibrated all of his puzzles on the way to his destination.

 

He stepped behind Sans' sentry station and waited...and waited...and waited. No matter, the Great Papyrus was very patient, especially when it came to waiting for humans to appear. One had already come through, the first he had ever seen, and he had managed to befriend them. The Great Papyrus was truly benevolent, friend to humans and monsters alike! And great friends are always patient.

 

He glanced down at the items stashed behind the “counter”, raising his browbone at the odd collection of ketchup, mustard and relish bottles. Of course Sans would keep ketchup at his station; that lazybones probably drunk three bottles of the stuff a day! But the mustard and relish...perhaps he ate hot dogs here too? Well, at least that was solid food and not just straight condiments. Still, hot dogs were nothing to his artisan spaghetti!

 

Twelve o'clock came and went, and the sunless day stretched on into the afternoon. Still, he waited.

 

He hummed to himself to pass the time, making up a little ditty in his head. An ode to spaghetti, he called it, and he thought out the best lyrical structure to go with his master tune. Truly, the Great Papyrus was multi-talented: a great composer and lyricist to boot. His lyrics, he decided, would need work, so he switched to a popular Mettaton song, singing it under his breath. Undyne always said a royal guard needed to be stealthy as to not give away their advantage. But what if his singing was so alluring that the humans simply stood in awe while he serenaded them, and he could capture them easier? He made a mental note to mention this to Undyne when he next saw her, and sung a little louder.

 

And then he heard footsteps.

 

…

 

_RING, RING_

 

Sans flipped open his phone. “what's up, al? long time, no see.”

 

“H-hello? S-Sans? Um...I...I don't k-know how to ask...is P-Papyrus supposed to be at your Snowdin station?”

 

“huh? paps? nah, he's probably just recalibrating a puzzle or something.”

 

He could hear her gulp through the phone. “U-u-uh....S-Sans...your brother...u-uh...maybe he should...um...maybe you should go back to your Snowdin post?”

 

“why, is something wrong?” He sat up straighter. “is papyrus hurt?”

 

Alphys gulped again, and her next words nearly made him drop the phone. “N-no, Sans. Another human just s-stepped out of the Ruins. I thought you m-might want t-to-”

 

But Sans had already hung up, almost running to his shortcut, and he disappeared in the blink of an eye.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DUN DUN DUN! 
> 
> Also, I like the idea of Papyrus having a nice singing voice. I think Sadie will really like it, don't you? ;)


	3. Skeleton Brothers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sadie meets Papyrus and Sans. Puzzles ensue.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Papyrus is a sweetheart and a cinnamon roll. I hope I did him and Sans justice in this chapter.

Well, she had been wrong about the snow.

 

She had thought surely no weather phenomenon could make its way this deep underground, but one step outside the door relieved her of that notion. The dark forest ahead of her was blanketed in snow, the cave cold and still and almost eerily silent. When she looked up, she got her first glimpse of the cavern ceiling, which twinkled solemnly back at her. Thousands of crystals shimmered high above her head, almost like a sea of stars. Almost.

 

She shivered at the chill breeze that whispered through the pines, and wrapping her arms firmly around herself, she started forward. In almost five minutes of walking, she didn't see anyone or anything but trees, but finally, she saw a gate up ahead. Or at least she thought it was a gate. The bars were spaced wide apart, allowing just about anyone to pass under and onto the bridge beyond it. So, after a quick examination of the gate to make sure it wasn't further rigged as a trap, she passed under and gave a similar inspection to the bridge. It seemed sturdy enough, so she continued on her way, trying not to look down at the deep ravine below the bridge.

 

It hadn't occurred to her to be quiet (as she thought no one was around), but the sound of singing reached her ears, and she slowed, trying to make her steps as silent as possible, which was difficult in the snow. She perked her ears and listened carefully to the singer.

 

“ _I AM THE BEST THAT EVER WAS OR EVER WILL BE...I AM THE SEXIEST ROBOT IN THE UNDERGROUND, YOU SEE..._ ”

 

The lyrics weren't all that great, but the tune was really catchy, and whoever was singing did the bright, bouncy melody justice. She smiled to herself as she scanned the vicinity, trying to find the source of the voice. A sentry station of sorts was just ahead, beside which was a crumpled, sad-looking lamp (weirdly, from a certain angle, it almost looked like a little kid could hide behind it).

 

And in the station was a skeleton.

 

The tall, gangly monster sang sweetly, his eyesockets closing as he worked his way through the melody in his silvery tenor voice. His reddish-orange scarf rustled in the breeze, making him look rather dramatic as he sat there, glove-encased hands folded in front of him on the counter. He was wearing some sort of white armor – round and matte and slightly crooked, as if he had made it himself. It was a strange outfit for a strange skeleton monster, but his expression was open and warm as he sung to himself. She crept past him slowly, not wanting to disturb him.

 

But he had better hearing than she thought, or perhaps he sensed her presence. He jumped up, coming quickly to attention (and nearly bumping his head on the roof the station in the process).

 

“OH MY!” he shouted, and she froze. “I'M SO SORRY, I DIDN'T SEE YOU THERE! ARE YOU LOST? HOW CAN I...”

 

He squinted at her, looking suspicious, and then he gasped, his gloved hands clasping in his skull in apparent shock.

 

“OH MY GOD!!! ARE...ARE YOU A HUMAN?”

 

She hesitated; on the one hand, she might be able to play it cool and pretend to be a monster just passing through. Then he might just let her be on her way and she could find the kid.

 

But he was staring at her with such earnest enthusiasm, and though she felt she might seriously regret it later, she took a deep breath and nodded. She had to be honest, and it would be better if he knew it straight from her.

 

“Yes, sir, I am.”

 

“OH MY GOD!” he cried again. Her heart swelled with a strange feeling as she watched his expression change from confusion to complete and utter joy. He ran out from behind the sentry station, skidding to a halt in front of her. “OH MY GOD, TWO HUMANS IN ONE WEEK! I NEVER WOULD HAVE DREAMED THAT I'D MEET SO MANY!!! I REALLY AM A GREAT SENTRY! OH, WAIT TIL I TELL SANS ABOUT THIS!! HE'LL BE SO PROUD OF ME! AND UNDYNE TOO! SHE'LL FINALLY PROMOTE ME TO ROYAL GUARDSMAN! OH, HUMAN, I CANNOT TELL YOU HOW HAPPY I AM TO MEET YOU!”

 

Seemingly regaining some composure, the skeleton cleared his throat (how? She could see right through him to his spine) and stood up straight.

 

“ATTENTION, HUMAN! YOU SHALL NOT PASS THIS AREA! DO NOT WORRY, I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, WILL NOT HARM YOU! I AM MERELY GOING TO CAPTURE YOU! UP AHEAD ARE SEVERAL PUZZLES THAT YOU MUST SOLVE BEFORE YOU PROCEED! NYEH HEH HEH!!!”

 

His volume barely went down from when he was celebrating finding her, and she got the feeling he used a loud voice all the time. But even so, his tone and mannerisms spoke of a not-so-hidden warmth and friendliness, and she felt something in her chest, an emotion she couldn't quite describe.

 

“Um...actually, could I ask you a question?”

 

“OF COURSE, OLDER HUMAN! THE GREAT PAPYRUS WOULD BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUERY YOU MAY HAVE!”

 

“Oh, I just realized I haven't introduced myself. I'm Sadie Baker.” Maybe this monster was a lot like Toriel, even though she was certain they had never met. She held out her hand for him to shake, and he looked down at it like it was some priceless artifact. “Mr. Papyrus, was it?”

 

He grabbed her hand and shook it vigorously until her fingers were numb, his grin so wide she thought his skull might crack. “I AM! I AM THE GREAT PAPYRUS, ROYAL-GUARDSMAN-IN-TRAINING, MASTER CHEF AND THE BEST OF FRIENDS!”

 

“A pleasure to meet you,” she replied with a smile. God, this skeleton was something else. “I heard you mention that I was the second human you've seen in a week?” He nodded. “Then was this the first human?”

 

She held out the paper with Frisk's information, and he took it from her, examining it closely.

 

“AH, YES! THIS IS THEM! THE TINY HUMAN CHILD PASSED THROUGH HERE NOT TWO DAYS AGO, AND I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS – AS IS MY DUTY AS THE BEST OF FRIENDS – HAVE HELPED GUIDE THEM ON THEIR WAY THROUGH WATERFALL AND HOTLAND!” His smile faltered for a moment. “THEY ENTERED THE CORE ABOUT AN HOUR AGO, AND THEIR CELL PHONE CAN'T RECEIVE CALLS INSIDE IT OR BEYOND. THERE'S TOO MUCH ELECTRICAL INTERFERENCE.”

 

He had helped guide them! _Oh, thank heaven above for small mercies. He's not so bad after all!_

 

“but don't worry, buddy,” a deep voice said in her ear, and she jumped, hardly noticing Papyrus' frown. “the kid will be ok.”

 

She spun around, taking a step back from the monster behind her. He was another skeleton, much shorter than Papyrus, and dressed much more casually in a white t-shirt, blue jacket with faux fur trim, basketball shorts and pink, fuzzy slippers.

 

He and Papyrus couldn't be more different.

 

This skeleton slouched, his hands shoved into the pockets of his coat. Where Papyrus' expression was warm and eager, this monster looked tired and worn, with a permanent smile on his face that didn't look all that convincing at the moment. His eyesockets were round and dark, with white pinpricks that moved like pupils as he looked her up and down. She felt her spine tingling again, and she wondered if monsters had some mind-reading capability Toriel had neglected to mention.

 

“come on, kid, don't you know how to greet a new pal? you shook my bro's hand, now shake mine. or else i might feel a bit left out.”

 

His voice sent chills down her spine, its tone deep and quiet. The skeleton pulled his hand from his pocket and held it out to her, and she reached for it.

 

“BROTHER, I SWEAR, IF YOU HAVE A WHOOPIE CUSHION OR SOMETHING IN YOUR HAND–”

 

“relax, pap, i know how to say hello to new friends. c'mon, human, i don't bite.”

 

Sadie hesitated; if Papyrus had made a point to mention a whoopie cushion, then what were the odds this skeleton would do something similar to her?  
  
She reached out and took his hand, then immediately withdrew her touch as a shock ran up her arm.  
  
“SANS, OH MY GOD!!!” the taller monster shouted.  
  
“heh, the whoopie cushion was getting old. i picked a joy buzzer this time. still funny.”  
  
“SANS, THAT WAS NOT FUNNY! WHAT WILL THE HUMAN THINK OF US?”  
  
“Only that you've got a different sense of humor than me,” she said with a shrug, rubbing her hand. “Remind me never to shake your hand again, Mr...Sans, was it?”  
  
“that's right, kid. i'm sans the skeleton, and this is my brother, papyrus.”  
  
“SANS, I DO NOT NEED TO BE INTRODUCED! THE HUMAN AND I HAVE ALREADY EXCHANGED PLEASANTRIES, AND WE WERE JUST ABOUT TO PROCEED WITH THE PUZZLES!”  
  
She stopped rubbing her hands and folded her arms across her chest as a defense against the cold, and against what she was about to ask. “Um...about that, Mr. Papyrus...is there any way at all that I could see Frisk before we do that? I really just want to know that they're ok.”  
  
“i saw the kid about an hour ago,” Sans said before his brother could say anything. “they seemed just fine to me. and besides, it's mandatory that all humans at least try the puzzles before moving forward.”  
  
She sighed. “A lot could happen in an hour.”

 

“that's true...but take it from me, buddy. the kid'll be just fine. besides, if they had to do all the puzzles, isn't it only fair that you have to do them too?”  
  
“HUMAN...” Papyrus' voice was slightly quieter than before. “DO YOU NOT WANT TO SOLVE MY PUZZLES?” He looked really disappointed, and she immediately backpedaled.  
  
“No, no, no, I love a good puzzle! And I'm very excited to give yours a try, it's just, I'm really worried about Frisk.”  
  
“sorry, buddy, rules are rules. and like i said, the kid's doing just fine. i mean, they've made it this far without your help.”  
  
She frowned, but ultimately had to concede to his argument. “You're right, Mr. Sans.” She turned to Papyrus, who stared at her expectantly. She forced herself to smile, drawing herself up to her full height (which only brought her to just under Papyrus' clavicle. This skeleton had to be at least six feet tall).  
  
“Alright, Mr. Papyrus, those puzzles aren't going to solve themselves. Care to lead the way, or am I expected to find them on my own?”  
  
“THEY ARE VERY VERY HARD TO MISS, HUMAN. I WILL BE UP AHEAD, READY TO EXPLAIN THE FIRST PUZZLE! CONTINUE, IF YOU DARE! NYEH HEH HEH HEH HEH!”  
  
He made to run off, but hesitated and turned around, giving her a pointed look, his hand touching his chin. “ONE CANNOT SOLVE PUZZLES IF THEY ARE TOO COLD, AND YOU HAVE BEEN SHIVERING FOR QUITE SOME TIME NOW. HERE, ALLOW ME TO HELP YOU!”  
  
He took off his scarf and wrapped it neatly around her neck, tucking it carefully so it wouldn't get in her way. She watched him work, dumbfounded, and only after he had finished arranging it did she find her voice.  
  
“Oh, Papyrus, you don't have to do this for me! Won't you be cold?”  
  
“I HAVE NO SKIN, HUMAN! THE GREAT PAPYRUS IS NEVER COLD!”  
  
He stepped back, admiring his handiwork for a moment before 'nyeh'-ing again, seemingly satisfied.  
  
“THERE! NOW YOU CAN SOLVE PUZZLES AND BE COMFORTABLE AT THE SAME TIME!”  
  
She looked down at the scarf, touching it gently with a cold finger. He didn't have skin, but the scarf was warm, and seemingly well cared for despite the worn threads and ragged hem. That strange emotion lurched in her gut as she looked up at the skeleton.  
  
“Thank you, Mr. Papyrus,” she said softly, and his dark eye holes almost twinkled.  
  
“NYEH HEH! YOU'RE WELCOME, HUMAN! NOW OFF TO THE PUZZLES! I HOPE YOU'RE PREPARED FOR THIS!”

 

And with that, he bounded off, his cackles echoing off the dark trunks of the trees surrounding her. She stared after him, rubbing the scarf gently with the tips of her fingers, and she let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding in.

 

“well, he seems like he's having fun.” She had almost forgotten Sans was there; she turned to face him.

 

“I sure hope so. That was so sweet of him to loan me this.”

 

“heh, yeah. so you're a human, huh? that's hilarious. i'm actually supposed to be on watch for humans right now, but uh, you know, i'm not all that interested in capturing 'em. that's pap's job. if you keep on like this, you just might make his day.”

 

A small smile touched her lips, and she gripped the scarf, looking wistfully in the direction Papyrus had run. “Ok...well, I should probably get going and start on those puzzles. It was nice to meet you, Mr. Sans.”

 

She turned to leave, but he cleared his throat, indicating that he wasn't done talking. She breathed out slowly and turned around again.

 

“Was there something else?”

 

He stared shrewdly at her for a moment, then shrugged and closed his eyelids (but he was a skeleton, so how in the world...?).

 

“nah, i got nothin'. good luck, kid. i'll be up ahead.”

 

He strolled away towards the treeline (in the wrong direction, she noted), and when she blinked, he was gone.

 

A shiver ran up her spine despite the warmth from Papyrus' scarf, and she wrapped her arms tight around herself and trudged forward through the snow. The wind ruffled her hair and chilled her face, but she steeled her nerve and continued along the frozen path.

 

As she walked, her thoughts turned to her encounter with the brothers. Papyrus was sweet and sincere and energetic, and she had to admit, she liked talking with him. And even though it would slow her down, she had to admit she was looking forward to trying his puzzles. His enthusiasm was infectious, and she hoped before this was all said and done that she could hear him sing again. He had a lovely voice on top of a promising personality.

 

Sans, on the other hand, made her feel slightly uncomfortable. Maybe it was the way he looked at her, like he knew all her secrets, or maybe it was just some general gut feeling that he didn't like her. Whatever the case, she had to be brave, like Toriel wanted her to be. She had to keep going and find Frisk.

 

She pulled the scarf tighter around her neck and marched onward.

 

…

 

Toriel had advised her to avoid FIGHTs, so she followed that wisdom and chose to Flee whenever possible. It seemed to her that encounters were coming more quickly than ever now that she was actively avoiding them, but even as she ran, some monsters still gave her Gold in thanks for not hurting them.

 

And besides, solving Papyrus' puzzles took all her concentration, so even if she wanted to, she didn't have the energy to get into FIGHTs with the monsters in the forest.

 

When she saw what was waiting for her in the first puzzle, she knew this wouldn't be as easy as she thought it might be. An empty field lay before her, with Sans and Papyrus on the other side.

 

“OH HO, THE HUMAN ARRIVES! THAT TOOK A WHILE, WHAT KEPT YOU, OLDER HUMAN?”

 

“Sorry, Papyrus, I got into some FIGHTs. Had to Flee, though. I suck at battling monsters and I'm not about to try and get better at it.”

 

Sans' smile seemed to widen. “hey, kid, what did the warrior llama say?”

 

“SANS, IF THIS IS ONE OF YOUR AWFUL PUNS, I SWEAR ON KING ASGORE'S GRAVE, I WILL HURT YOU! WE WANT TO MAKE A GOOD IMPRESSION ON THE HUMAN!”

 

“I don't know, Sans. What did he say?”

 

“NO, HUMAN, DON'T ENCOURAGE HIM!”

 

The smaller skeleton winked. “he said, 'you don't want to fight me, _alpaca_ punch.'”

 

“SANS, THAT WAS HORRIBLE! OH MY GOD!”

 

It was horrible, but she smiled anyway. “ _Egg_ -cellent wordplay, good sir. I would tip my hat to you if I had a hat.”

 

“NOW LOOK WHAT YOU DID! YOU CORRUPTED THE HUMAN!!”

 

Sans chuckled. “sorry, bro. couldn't resist.”

 

“UGH...CAN WE PLEASE JUST EXPLAIN THE PUZZLE ALREADY?”

 

“sure, bro, explain away.”

 

“AHEM...HUMAN! THIS IS THE ELECTRICITY MAZE! IF YOU TOUCH THE WALLS OF THE MAZE, THIS ORB WILL ADMINISTER A HEARTY ZAP! SO YOU MUST BE CAREFUL! ARE YOU READY?”  
  


She frowned across the field at him, staring dubiously at the orb in his gloved hand. “What do you mean by hearty zap? Like an electrical bolt will shoot out of that thing or...?”

 

He frowned back at her, then looked down at the orb as if surprised to see it there. “OH MY GOODNESS, I ALMOST FORGOT TO GIVE THIS TO YOU! ONE MOMENT, HUMAN!”

 

He worked his way across the field, leaving distinct tracks in the snow. Sans stared at her, seemingly amused as she watched Papyrus give the answer away; she thought about saying something, or suggesting he rework his puzzle, or maybe erase his tracks on the way back, but then she remembered that she should be doing these puzzles as quickly as she could, to save time and get to Frisk sooner. _Remember why you're here, Sadie, don't get distracted! The kid needs you!_

 

So although she felt kind of bad for the skeleton's ineptitude, she stayed silent, obediently taking the orb from him as he handed it to her.

 

“HOLD THIS, PLEASE!” he said, and she nodded.

 

“Of course, Mr. Papyrus. Thank you.”

 

“NYEH?”

 

“Well, I would hate to do the puzzle wrong.” She shrugged, holding the orb tighter. “That would miss the point, wouldn't it?”

 

He laughed, and she smiled in satisfaction. Now that she thought about it, his laugh was kind of cute...

 

“NYEH HEH HEH! DID YOU HEAR THAT, SANS? ANOTHER HUMAN WHO CARES ABOUT PUZZLES! COME ON THEN, HUMAN! I'LL BE WAITING FOR YOU ON THE OTHER SIDE! I KNOW YOU CAN DO THIS!”

 

He hurried back across the field, making his tracks even deeper and more obvious than before. She clutched tight to the orb and edged forward. _I could at least make it seem like I don't know the answer right away,_ she thought to herself, and she made sure to study the entrance for a full minute before proceeding.

 

“What do you mean by hearty anyway?” she murmured to herself, reaching out to feel for static. “It can't be that bad, can – AHHH!”

 

She ripped her hand away from the wall, gently suckling at her fingertips. “Ow,” she moaned, almost dropping the orb. “Ok, you weren't kidding about the 'hearty' part.”

 

“HUMAN, OH MY GOD! ARE YOU HURT?” Papyrus looked panicked, wringing his hands and pacing at the exit. “SANS, MAYBE WE SHOULDN'T DO THIS PUZZLE?”  
  


“i don't know, bro. the human's got it covered from the looks of it.”

 

“I'm ok!” she assured them, giving them a thumbs-up for good measure. Papyrus relaxed a fraction, but still continued to pace as she made her way through the rest of the puzzle. She went slower than she normally would, just to make it seem like she had to think about the solution. The taller skeleton seemed none the wiser anyway.

 

Finally she stepped off the field and presented the orb to Papyrus, smiling despite her still-throbbing fingers. “Alright, next puzzle then?”

 

“HUMAN, I'M SO SORRY! THE TINY HUMAN MADE IT THROUGH JUST FINE! I DIDN'T THINK YOU'D GET HURT! CAN YOU PLEASE FORGIVE ME? I PROMISE THE NEXT PUZZLE WON'T BE DANGEROUS. SANS DESIGNED IT, SO YOU SHOULD BE FINE!”

 

“my bro's right, kid. it'll be easy for ya.”

 

She rubbed her fingers to try and get a little feeling back into them. “It's ok, Mr. Papyrus, just a little shock. You said Frisk made it through just fine, though?”

 

“YES, THEY SOLVED IT SO QUICKLY!”

 

“They must be very smart, and better at puzzles than I am, I'm sure.”

 

“NONSENSE, HUMAN, YOU ARE VERY GOOD AT PUZZLES! WHILE NOT AS FAST AS THE LITTLE HUMAN, YOU SOLVED IT ADMIRABLY! BUT I DO APOLOGIZE FOR IT HURTING YOU! PLEASE BELIEVE ME, I DIDN'T THINK IT WOULD INJURE YOU! I THOUGHT YOU WOULDN'T...PLEASE, I'M SO SORRY ABOUT THAT! ALLOW ME TO MAKE IT UP TO YOU SOMEHOW!”

 

She felt that strange emotion lurking in her lower abdomen again. “No, no, Mr. Papyrus, there's nothing to make up! It's alright! You were doing your job, and I'm not hurt much! Please, don't beat yourself up about this. It's nothing really! I'm ok! And I'm looking forward to the next puzzle!”

 

“BUT YOU DID GET HURT! I DIDN'T TAKE THE PROPER PRECAUTIONS TO PREVENT SUCH AN EVENT FROM OCCURING, SO THE FAULT MUST LIE WITH ME! NYEH! I SWEAR TO YOU, OLDER HUMAN, I WILL MAKE THIS UP TO YOU! AND PLEASE ACCEPT MY APOLOGY!”

 

“But-”

 

“PLEASE!”  
  
“Mr. Papyrus-”

 

“PLEASE, HUMAN! PLEASE ACCEPT!”

 

“Mr. Papyrus, there's nothing to apologize for!”

 

“no use tryin', buddy,” Sans said with a smirk. “he ain't giving up any time soon. so you might as well just accept his apology. didn't you say you were in a hurry to meet the kid?”

 

She sighed, slumping her shoulders. She touched his scarf, still wrapped securely around her neck, and stepped forward. With reluctance, she looked into the taller skeleton's eyes (or rather the holes where his eyes would be if he were human), but the sight of them, so bright and apologetic, made her soften.

 

“Mr. Papyrus...while I still insist that you have done nothing wrong, if you wish for me to accept your apology, I will do so. You have not offended me in any way, I assure you. Quite the opposite! But regardless...I heartily accept your apology. And I look forward to the next puzzle.”

 

“NYEH! THANK YOU, HUMAN! AND I PROMISE AGAIN, I WILL MAKE IT UP TO YOU!”

 

“You don't have to do that-” she began, but he was already running off down the path, leaving her alone with Sans.

 

She sighed, gently rubbing the material of the scarf between two fingers. From the moment she met him, she got the notion he was nicer than most people she had met, but now, having spent a little more time with him, she was beginning to see that this monster had hidden depths, strong and passionate and full of energy. And, if such a thing were possible, what with him trying to capture her and her attempting to find Frisk before something dreadful happened, she wanted to see more sides of Papyrus.

 

And yet that thought scared her. And filled her with guilt. She was supposed to be focused on finding the child!

 

So instead of dwell on those thoughts, she turned her attention to Sans. “Well, next puzzle, then?”

 

“don't sweat it, kid, it'll be easy.” He gave her a shrewd look. “ya didn't have to pretend not to know the answer. i know better. you saw the solution the moment he walked across the field. so i gotta ask...why'd you do it? why play along?”

 

“I...I don't know, Sans, honestly...I don't know. I need to find Frisk as soon as possible, but...I just...I want to see him happy. As a small return for how kind he's been so far, I'd like to play along as much as I can. He seems to be enjoying himself.”

 

“heh, that he is...the kid played along too, and now paps loves them. so just a fair warning, buddy...if you keep this up, he might not let you go back home. he'll wanna keep you here.”

 

Sadie frowned at him. “What is that supposed to mean?”

 

“you know as well as i do what i'm saying.” He stepped closer. “he's not quite there yet, but i know my brother. i know that look.” He chuckled to himself, making her frown deepen. “wanting to abandon a puzzle just because you got a little shock? kid...you know what'll happen if you keep going on like this, right?”

 

She shook her head. “I really don't know what you're talking about, Mr. Sans. If it's not too much to ask, can we please just move on to the next puzzle, please?”

 

He stared at her for a long minute, his expression unreadable, but then he shrugged, that not-so-convincing smile returning. “alright. i'll be up ahead.”

 

And with that, he walked the way she came, once again disappearing the minute she blinked. What was it with this skeleton and vanishing into thin air like that? Magic had to be the only explanation, but before she got too far into musing on her questions, she reminded herself once again of her task, and steeled herself for whatever Sans had planned for her.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor sweetheart doesn't want anyone to get hurt! Hope you liked it!


	4. Puzzles and Pasta

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> More puzzles. And pasta. And Papyrus! Oh my!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed or left kudos on this work. I appreciate you all so much, and I hope you enjoy the chapter!

Sans had to be joking.

 

She had expected another maze of sorts, or some tile-based puzzle, or anything other than a word search on the ground. Even Papyrus was confused.

 

“SANS, I THOUGHT WE WENT OVER THIS! THIS PUZZLE ISN'T GOOD ENOUGH!”  
  


“come on, bro, at least let her try it out.”

 

The taller skeleton let out an exasperated sigh. “VERY WELL...HUMAN, ALTHOUGH THIS PUZZLE ISN'T AS GRAND AS MINE, YOU SHOULD AT LEAST TRY IT BEFORE PROCEEDING.”

 

She smiled, looking over the word search. It reminded her of the kid's comics page from the _Ebott Sunrise_ , what with the two monsters as mascots and simplicity of the search.

 

“Um...do you have a pen?”

 

Sans grinned and pulled one out of his jacket, and she took it from him with a quiet 'thank-you'. Then, crouching on the ground so she could use her leg as a surface, she worked through the 'puzzle', grinning until she realized she realized the last word wasn't in the letter grid.

 

“Mr. Sans? I think this word search might have a typo.”

 

The shorter skeleton would have cracked if he grinned any wider. “what do you mean, kiddo?”

 

“Look.” She showed him the word search. “The last word I need is...I can't pronounce it.” She settled on pointing to it. “Now look at the top line of letters. If this puzzle has a solution, then the top line should read g-i-a-s-f-c-l-f-e, but instead it reads g-i-a-s-f-c-l-f-u. If this is how the puzzle was intended to be, then I'm sorry. I can't solve it.”

 

She handed him the pen and word search, and he chuckled underneath his breath, while Papyrus snatched the paper of out his brother's hands and examined it.

 

“SANS, THE HUMAN IS RIGHT! THIS GOES AGAINST PUZZLE DESIGN 101! EVERY PUZZLE MUST HAVE A SOLUTION!”

 

“good point, bro. fortunately, this puzzle does have a solution. that solution is...to admit it has no solution.”

 

“BROTHER?” Papyrus looked stumped. “I DON'T UNDERSTAND.”

 

“ya see, paps, she pointed out the typo to me. she admitted that she couldn't solve the puzzle. that's the solution.”

 

“HUH...I WOULD HAVE NEVER THOUGHT OF MAKING SUCH A PUZZLE! I WAS WRONG ABOUT YOU, BROTHER! YOU REALLY DO CARE ABOUT PUZZLES AND TRAPS LIKE I DO! THAT'S A VERY CLEVER SOLUTION, SANS! AND HUMAN,” he turned to her with a wide grin, “YOU SOLVED IT SO QUICKLY! SEE, YOU'RE DOING JUST FINE, AND YOU DIDN'T GET HURT THIS TIME! NYEH HEH HEH!!!”

 

He handed the paper back to Sans, gave her an enthusiastic thumbs-up, and ran off to the next puzzle, once again leaving her alone with his brother.

 

“ya know the kid didn't even try to solve it. they took one look and walked on past it.”

 

She stared at him for a moment, then pinched her nosebridge. “Well, like I said, that's not exactly an option for me, is it? I said I'd go along with this.” She sighed. “Besides, it's not that bad. Papyrus made an excellent point when he said your solution was really clever. I don't think I could have come up with something like that.”

 

Sans stared darkly at her, and she looked away, worried she had said something wrong. “ya can't be serious, kiddo, stop pullin' my fibula. you know i made that up that solution on the spot.”

 

“Well, you're better at thinking on your feet than I'll ever be. I mean, coming up with what is essentially a really cool sort of morality test or...maybe not morality test, but test of character...and on the spot, too? Give yourself some credit. That was some fine fast thinking from where I'm standing.”

 

“heh...” He chuckled for a good minute before looking up at her with a strange grin. “i was right...paps doesn't stand a chance against you.”

 

“What do you mean? Are you saying I'm going to have to FIGHT him or something?”

 

“that's a possibility, kid. it's his job to stop you.”

 

She groaned. “Well...I'll just Spare him, then. Maybe I can talk him down...I don't want to FIGHT him, Sans. I just want to find Frisk.”

 

“so you've said.” His shoulders slumped. “welp, if it does come down to a fight, let me give you some friendly advice, pal. my brother has a special attack. when you see a blue attack, stay still and it won't hurt you. can you remember that? think of a blue stop sign, if that helps.”

 

“Blue means stay still...blue means stay still...ok, got it. Thank you so much, Sans. And good job on that puzzle. I thought it was really cool.”

 

He shrugged and shoved his hands into his pockets. “heh...no problem, buddy. i'll see you around.”

 

As much as she wanted to stay and watch him disappear again (how the heck did he do that anyway?), she hurried on towards the next puzzle.

 

Well, trap rather.

 

A plate of spaghetti, glazed over with ice and a light dusting of snow, sat on a table, next to an unplugged microwave. And next to the plate was a note.

 

_HUMAN,_

 

_PLEASE ENJOY THIS PLATE OF SPAGHETTI! (LITTLE DO YOU REALIZE, THIS SPAGHETTI IS A TRAP, DESIGNED TO ENTICE YOU! YOU'LL BE SO BUSY EATING IT AND MARVELING AT THE FLAVOR THAT YOU'LL FORGET TO PROCEED! NYEH HEH HEH! FOOLED AGAIN BY THE GREAT PAPYRUS!)_

_  
NYEHFULLY YOURS,_

_PAPYRUS_

 

Well, that was certainly something. By now, she was sure Papyrus had absolutely no intention of hurting her, that his only goal with this “trap” was to simply delay her.

 

She smiled despite herself and quickly took off Papyrus' scarf, tucking it away in her back pocket; she took up the fork, determined to stab her way through the ice to get at the culinary offering. It seemed like ages since she had eaten the pie at Toriel's house, and her stomach was starting to rumble. She could have just eaten another slice of pie, but she wanted to save those for later. It was better to eat where she could.

 

“As good as anything, I suppose,” she murmured to herself. “Come to mama.”

 

She managed to hack her way to the spaghetti and finagled some onto the fork. She lifted it to her lips, taking a moment to sniff the forkful of food. There was nothing artificial about the aroma; she detected several spices and tomatoes and slightly burnt bits that she was sure would taste great. The forkload of pasta glittered in the dim light, and she wondered if that was residual ice or something else. With a deep breath, she put the fork in her mouth.

 

Once the initial hacking fit passed, she realized there were actual, distinguishable flavors in the sauce, though the noodles were practically inedible.

 

She forced herself to swallow, and despite the odd taste and nearly gag-inducing texture overall, her stomach rumbled again.

 

If she could just look past the crunchy, nearly-dry noodles and what seemed to be glitter in the sauce, the lightly burnt, homemade flavor was actually quite pleasant. She reminded herself to ask Papyrus for the recipe when she had a spare moment from traps and puzzles. The twang of the tomatoes and garlic sang on her tongue, and the spices added the perfect zip of flavor. It was a little too sweet for her tastes, but now that she was concentrating on how good the sauce was, she could mostly overlook the undercooked pasta and strange glitter throughout. Mostly. She forced herself to take another bite (suppressing a slight urge to gag), then another, ignoring the cold as she shoveled mouthful after mouthful into her face.

 

“HUMAN?”

 

She must have been quite a sight, hunched over the table, staring back at Papyrus with wide eyes and cheeks plump with pasta. She swallowed what was in her mouth and looked down at the empty plate.

 

“Um...can I have this recipe when you have a minute?”

 

“HUMAN...YOU LIKED MY PASTA?” His eyes had blown as wide as her, and he looked like he might cry. She smiled at him.

 

“Well, the sauce was a tad sweeter than I like, but I prefer salty tomatoes. That's just me. Otherwise...Mr. Papyrus, this sauce is amazing! I've never had anything like it. Most of the spaghetti sauce I use comes out of a jar.”

 

He stared at her, his grin almost softening, and she could have sworn his cheeks were turning red. “OH MY GOD...WOWIE...NO ONE'S EVER LIKED MY COOKING BEFORE!” He clasped his hands together and stood up tall. “WORRY NOT, OLDER HUMAN! THE GREAT MASTER CHEF PAPYRUS WILL MAKE YOU ALL THE PASTA YOU COULD EVER WANT! HEH HEH HEH HEH NYEH!”

 

Well, maybe she could bring up getting that recipe later. She didn't want to rain on his parade, so she switched gears.

 

“Maybe we could cook together?” she asked timidly, and although it didn't seem possible, his grin grew bigger. “I'm not the greatest cook by any means, and I could never come up with something so unique as what you made, but I know the basics.”

 

“OH, I WOULD LIKE THAT VERY MUCH, HUMAN!”

 

“Great! After we get through the puzzles and I find Frisk, I'll come back and we can cook together!”

 

“I LOOK FORWARD TO IT! THE GREAT PAPYRUS WILL TEACH YOU ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE ART OF COOKERY! NOW, ARE YOU READY FOR THE NEXT PUZZLE?”

 

“Almost. Is there something I can do with this plate? I'd hate to just leave dirty dishes around for someone else to clean up.”

 

He gasped, a look of elation spreading across his features. “YOU MEAN...YOU ACTUALLY WANT TO CLEAN UP AFTER YOURSELF?!”

 

“Well,” she sighed, looking down at the empty plate, “to tell you the truth, I'm actually kind of a slob with my own things.” She dared look him in the eye. “But I always feel really really guilty leaving other people's things in a mess, so, um...what should I do with it?”

 

Papyrus swayed on his feet, then took several steps towards her, towering over her with an unsure smile. She offered a sincere grin in return, but held tight to the plate. What was he up to?  
  


His hands twitched at his sides, and he raised them, and for a moment, she thought he might reach for her. But he folded his hands in front of him and looked down at her with a soft expression. She smiled back.

 

“I'LL TAKE THE PLATE FOR YOU, HUMAN. DO NOT WORRY ABOUT SUCH A LITTLE THING! I'LL COME BACK FOR IT LATER! AFTER ALL, I SPEND A LOT OF TIME CLEANING UP AFTER MY BROTHER, SO IT'S NOT THAT DIFFERENT!”

 

“Oh, Papyrus, I don't want to inconvenience you!” She set the plate back on the table. “Tell you what...do you live around here, by chance?”

 

“YES, HUMAN, THE TOWN OF SNOWDIN IS PAST THE LAST BRIDGE! YOU'RE HALFWAY THERE ALREADY!”

 

“Well...what if I came back for it after I complete the last puzzle?”

 

“NONSENSE, HUMAN! IT IS MY TRAP, AND I WILL TAKE CARE OF IT!”

 

“But what if I-”

 

“MY TRAP, MY RULES! DO NOT CONCERN YOURSELF WITH TAKING CARE OF THE GREAT PAPYRUS' TRAPS! THOUGH I DO APPRECIATE YOUR OFFER TO HELP! YOU ARE VERY THOUGHTFUL!”

 

Heat rushed to her cheeks, and she stared down at her shoes. “You're too kind, Mr. Papyrus. Just let me know if you change your mind. Or maybe I could do dishes later as a thank-you for making me some really spectacular spaghetti?”

 

“NYEH HEH!” He chuckled. “YOU ARE PERSISTANT! BUT NOT AS PERSISTANT AS PAPYRUS! WHO IS THE PERSISTANTEST! BUT IN ANY CASE, I'M GLAD YOU FOUND MY TRAP SO ENJOYABLE!”

 

“It's a good trap,” she replied, pulling his scarf from her back pocket and wrapping it back around her neck. “I've stopped for too long, though. I really should get back to solving puzzles.”

 

He grinned at her, clasping his hands in front of him again. “IF YOU ENJOYED THE OTHER PUZZLES, YOU'LL REALLY LOVE THESE NEXT ONES! I'LL BE UP AHEAD!”

 

And with a jolly little wave, he was off again, and she followed, smiling to herself all the while.

 

It took a bit to reach the next puzzle, and Papyrus was, as always, waiting patiently for her to arrive. Two X tiles were arranged side-by-side in the snow, beyond which laid a line of spikes blocking the path. She also noted a button next to the puzzle, presumably to be pushed, and a sign. She went for the sign first.

 

_Turn all the X's into O's, then press the button._

 

 _Simple enough,_ she thought to herself, and she quickly solved the puzzle. The spikes retracted into the ground, and Papyrus gave her a round of applause.

 

“BRAVO, HUMAN! SEE, I KNEW YOU COULD DO IT!”

 

She bowed dramatically, blowing kisses to an imaginary crowd. “Thank you! Thank you! You've been a wonderful audience!” She continued to wave and bow for a bit, and Papyrus chuckled.

 

“WOWIE! YOU SOUND KIND OF LIKE METTATON!”

 

“Who's Mettaton?” she asked, stopping the antics and continuing along the path. Papyrus kept stride with her, slowing his steps so she didn't have to jog just to keep up.

 

“HE'S THE MOST POPULAR STAR IN THE UNDERGROUND! HIS FAN CLUB HAS AT LEAST THREE DOZEN MEMBERS, YOURS TRULY INCLUDED, AND HE HAS A COOKING SHOW AND A QUIZ SHOW AND HE HAS HIS OWN NEWS NETWORK AND RESORT AND RESTAURANT! I USE HIS MTT-BRAND GLITTER IN ALL MY SPAGHETTI, TO MAKE IT FABULOUS!”

 

Sadie couldn't help but giggle at his enthusiasm. “Wow, he sounds like something else, Papyrus! You'll have to show me his cooking show sometime.”

 

“NYEH HEH HEH HEH HEH! OF COURSE!”

 

They had arrived at the next puzzle, and Papyrus hung back a bit so she could take a look. “THE OTHER HUMAN TOOK A WHILE WITH THIS ONE! AS YOU CAN SEE, I'VE ARRANGED THE SNOW TO LOOK MORE LIKE MY FACE! I THINK IT ADDS PERSONALITY AND CHARM, DON'T YOU?”  
  


“I couldn't agree more,” she said immediately, smiling softly at him. He let out a quiet 'nyeh', and she could have sworn his cheeks were turning red again. That had to be a blush.

 

After five minutes of staring at the puzzle, she could understand why Frisk had taken longer with it. Unlike the previous arrangement of X's, this puzzle had them scattered over a larger area, with certain paths one could take. She tried it, at first thinking it wasn't as hard as she was making it out to be, but she stepped on a completed O, and it turned into a triangle.

 

“YOU CANNOT STEP ON AN X TWICE, HUMAN! THE PUZZLE CANNOT BE COMPLETED IF THERE ARE ANY TRIANGLES!”

 

“Well, shoot. I thought I had it figured out...”

 

She stared for a little while longer, shaking her head at it. “Is there some way to get above it?” she murmured under her breath.

 

Although she was mostly speaking to herself, it seemed Papyrus heard her question, and strode up. “HERE, LET ME HELP YOU!”

 

He lifted her up, and in one fluid motion set her on his shoulders. She squealed, clutching his skull as he moved to grip her legs, and as he looked up at her, his eyesockets gleamed in triumph.

 

“THERE! NOW YOU CAN SEE THE PUZZLE FROM ABOVE!”

 

“Oh, Papyrus, are you sure? I, um, I don't know how strong skeletons usually are, but I'm sure I weigh more than you do. Are you sure you won't get hurt from having me up here?”

 

“NONSENSE!” Now that she really looked at him, he didn't seem to be struggling at all. “I AM STRONGER THAN I LOOK! NYEH HEH! NOW HOW ABOUT THAT PUZZLE?”

 

“R-right...” How was it that bones could be so warm? He clutched her tightly, and she refused to let go of his skull. It was the only thing she could think of to hold on to, even if Papyrus' grip on her thighs was secure. His gloved hands were kind of warm too, and his fingertips curled around her legs, brushing her inner thighs...

 

_Stop it, Sadie! Focus on the task at hand!_

 

She shook her inappropriate thoughts out of her head and focused on the puzzle. She traced it in the air with her finger, trying out different paths until she found one that would make only one pass over the X's. Three more times she traced it, until she was certain of the way.

 

“Ok, Mr. Papyrus, you can put me down now. I think I have it.”

 

She looked down at him, and most of his face had turned red. And now that her focus was back on him, he appeared to be...sweating? So could skeletons also perspire? She decided to blame magic instead of leading herself into a headache.

 

He lifted her with ease, setting her gently in the snow and looking away. His gloved hand rubbed the back of his skull, and that red flush over his face didn't fade.

 

“Y-YOU CAN SOLVE THE P-PUZZLE NOW, HUMAN...I-I...I KNEW YOU COULD DO IT! H-HEH...”

 

“Oh god...Papyrus, did I make you uncomfortable?”

 

“NYEH?” He turned to her, his eyes blowing wide again. “O-OH, NO, HUMAN, I JUST...I-I...I'M NOT UNCOMFORTABLE HOLDING YOU LIKE THAT, I SWEAR! I...H-HUMAN, YOU...UM...W-WHY DON'T YOU SOLVE THE PUZZLE SO WE CAN BOTH PROCEED?”

 

“Ok...do you maybe need a minute?”

 

“NYEH...Y-YES, I THINK SO...”

 

She nodded and let him be. “I think I need one too,” she muttered under her breath, and she turned back to the puzzle, checking one more time the path she intended to take. She walked through the X's, the clicks of the tiles echoing in the cold, snowy cavern. Papyrus wasn't as red by the time she hit the button, and he smiled proudly at her when she returned to his side.

 

“So...um...what's next?”

 

“MORE PUZZLES, OF COURSE! Y-YOU'RE DOING GREAT SO FAR, OLDER HUMAN!”

 

He quickly glanced up at the ceiling of the cavern, that flush returning to his cheeks. “Papyrus?” she said softly, carefully stepping closer. His eyesockets focused on her, almost glowing in the dim light of the cave, and she let the smile slip from her face.

 

“Am I making you uncomfortable? Please, please tell me if I am. I don't want to offend you, and I need to know if I'm doing something wrong! I'm not...I don't know anything about monster culture, so any social faux pas I'm committing or monster taboo I'm somehow shoving in your face...I need to know these things.”

 

“HUMAN...” The blush faded slightly. “I'M VERY SORRY FOR WORRYING YOU! YOU ARE NOT DOING ANYTHING WRONG! IN FACT, ONE COULD SAY YOU'RE DOING EVERYTHING RIGHT, WHAT WITH YOUR PUZZLE-SOLVING SKILLS AND YOUR LOVE OF SPAGHETTI...” He seemed to get flustered again, but took a deep breath. “THE GREAT PAPYRUS IS NOT OFFENDED BY YOU IN THE SLIGHTEST! I THINK YOU ARE VERY COOL!”

 

That flush came back with a vengeance, and a matching flush spread across her cheeks. “Oh, Papyrus...thank you so much! That means a lot coming from you...” Now it was her turn to look flustered. She looked down at the snow, suddenly wishing she could evaporate. “You're such an awesome guy.”

 

“NYEH HEH...HEH...YOU...YOU REALLY...UM...” He fiddled with his gloves, staring resolutely at a spot just over her shoulder. “NEXT PUZZZLE, THEN!”

 

He rushed off, and she gripped his scarf, slowing her breathing to steady herself. She closed her eyes, feeling the cold breeze whisper over her burning cheeks, and with a few deep breaths, she tried to bring her thoughts back to the task at hand.

 

“heh heh...i knew it...”

 

She didn't even bother looking at Sans. She didn't even bother opening her eyes, as she wasn't done trying to get back into her previous headspace.

 

“not even gonna look at me, kiddo? harsh.”

 

A sigh escaped her lips, and she opened her eyes to find the shorter skeleton looking at her, a triumphant grin plastered on his face.

 

“so...paps is growing on ya, huh? had a feeling that might happen.”

 

“I think one would have to be completely devoid of feeling to not like Papyrus,” she replied wearily, rubbing the scarf between her fingers again. “Was there something you needed?”

 

“nah, not much. just one thing i wanted to say...”

 

“That being?”

 

His eyelights flickered out, leaving his eyesockets black and cold. She took a startled step backward, clutching Papyrus' scarf like a lifeline.

 

“I f  y o u  e v e r  h u r t  h i m, I  w i l l  k i l l  y o u.”

 

The shock of his voice, so dark and emotionless, and the look of hatred on his face was enough to bring tears to her eyes.

 

 _Of course this was all too good to last. Of course it was just too good to be true_. She opened her mouth to say something, then closed it, unable to find any sort of response to his threat. She stared resolutely at the snow on the ground, debating whether to run to the next puzzle and pray he didn't try anything, or just wait for him to leave.

 

He didn't move.

 

She reviewed every interaction they had had, trying to think if she had offended him in some way, if she had come off as haughty or weird or violent in some way...she couldn't think of anything. She had thought Sans was a friend, someone on her side, who, despite the differences between them, wanted her and the kid to succeed. Of course he had to obey monster protocols and satisfy Papyrus, but between giving her advice and letting her off on his puzzle and occasionally sharing a bad pun...she thought he could at least tolerate her presence. She liked him well enough and thought he was funny, but was she misreading everything? Did he really dislike her that much? Was his past experiences with humans so bad that he just couldn't risk another one going through the Underground? Was that it?

 

She hoped it was that, and not because he outright hated her guts.

 

“hey...” He sounded a bit scared, but she continued staring at the snow, trying to hold back her tears. She couldn't, no, wouldn't cry in front of Sans. “hey, kid, i was just jokin' with ya...i know you wouldn't hurt him.”

 

Despite her best efforts, a tear ran down her cheek, immediately growing cold as it trickled down her face. Her grip on Papyrus' scarf tightened until her hand hurt. She took in a shaky breath, staring at the ceiling, the snow, her shoes, the completed puzzle. Anything but Sans.

 

 _Get a hold of yourself!_ She tried hard to still her racing heart. _He didn't mean it, he was just joking...he doesn't hate you...what if he's lying? What if this is all just an elaborate trap? God, he must hate me. He must think I'm going to kill everyone. Does that mean Frisk has killed someone? Is that why he hates me? No...no, Papyrus said the kid was doing fine, that he was guiding them...why does Sans hate me so much? Why does he want me dead?_

 

“kid...hey, buddy, snap out of it!”

 

She took a deep breath, willing herself forward, away from the threat and the toxic thoughts and the mounting panic that made her feel like she might choke. She continued taking deep breaths, staring straight ahead towards the next challenge, and she wiped away the few tears that had made it onto her cheeks. One hand continued to grip Papyrus' scarf, and she reminded herself that the taller skeleton was waiting, that she couldn't disappoint him. Maybe if she just got through all these puzzles, Sans would see that she meant no harm, and he would leave her be.

 

But then he was right in front of her, blocking her path.

 

“look...um, sadie, isn't it? your name's sadie?”

 

She took a step back, but then held her ground and nodded.

 

“um...yeah...” He chuckled, his smile strained as he rubbed the back of his skull. “i, um...that came out a lot harsher than i meant it, ok? i can see you like paps. i know you're not going to hurt him. i just...you gotta understand, kid, we haven't had it easy down here. not every human is as nice as you and the kid. so...um...can we call a truce? and can you forget what i said? i admit, i was a bonehead.”

 

With another nod, the tension drained from her shoulders, and she took his proffered hand (making sure there wasn't something in it first).

 

“thanks, sadie. next puzzle then?”

 

“SANS!”

 

They both jumped at Papyrus' shout, and they left the conversation there, walking together in silence as they progressed towards the next challenge.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope I did Sans justice here. He's kind of hard to write for, honestly.


	5. Of Friendships and FIGHTs

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sadie continues through the puzzles; Papyrus is conflicted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, thank you so much to everyone who reviewed, especially A+ Human, who indulged me in discussion down in the comment section. Here's to you, friend!

It was only when he reached the next puzzle that Papyrus realized he would need outside assistance to make it work.

 

The machine that had previously powered the puzzle had disappeared; if he let the human off on this puzzle, he might have to resort to using the Gauntlet of Deadly Terror, and he hoped he wouldn't have to use such measures. It was too hard for humans to get through, and he didn't want her to get hurt! She was...she was his friend, or could be, but...

 

Did the human even want to be friends with him? He didn't know very many people he could truly call 'friend'. Undyne was the only monster that came to mind, though he thought to himself that he and Alphys might be good pals if they ever met in person. They had a good rapport on the Undernet, but he had never spoken to her in person. And there was the tiny human, who had suggested themselves that they and he be friends.

 

 _I've managed to make friends with one nice human,_ he told himself firmly, trying to quell his doubts. _I can be friends with this one too! We're going to cook together when all this is over, and I have to show her Mettaton's cooking show! And she likes my spaghetti! We can be friends! I know we can be friends! I'm the Great Papyrus, after all, why wouldn't she want to be my friend?_

 

 _Maybe because you're going to FIGHT her at the end of all this?_ another voice said in reply. Strangely, it sounded a bit like Flowey. _Maybe because all she wants is to find the tiny human, and you're delaying her._

 

_But she likes my puzzles! She said so herself! And she's so nice to me...and to Sans...we can all be friends, we just have to try harder!_

 

Now he could imagine Flowey popping up in front of him, giving him that odd little grin of his. _Are you sure she really likes your puzzles, Papyrus? Are you sure she's not just humoring you?_

 

That did throw him for a loop, but then he closed his eyes and mentally checked everything he could remember about this human.

 

Her name was Sadie Baker, and her soul was blue. The very same shade as his blue attack. The color of Integrity. Someone with that as their dominant trait wouldn't lie, would they? A human like that would be honest, and believe in fairness. She wanted to do his puzzles not only because they were fun, but because it was only fair she try them after the little human did them.

 

And if it was only fair that she try every puzzle that she could, it was only fair that she FIGHT him at the end of this.

 

No matter how much he didn't want to.

 

She had a mission to find the child, but he had a mission to join the Royal Guard. It was his duty to capture a human. And he couldn't even capture the tiny one. Heck, he had ended up going on a date with them instead! And Undyne was disappointed...

 

Would the human keep being his friend if he captured them? It would be hard keeping in touch while she was with Asgore in the capital, but he supposed they could always write each other...

 

He sighed. _It just wouldn't be the same..._

 

An idea struck him.

 

If he managed to capture the human and send them to Asgore, he would be promoted into the Royal Guard. And if that happened, he would have to spend a lot of time around the King. And if he was around the King so much, then he'd see the human at least once a week, and they could hang out then!

 

A grin stretched across his face as the gears continued churning in his head. Yes, this was the perfect plan! He could continue being friends with the human and the tiny human, and he could even get into the Royal Guard!

 

He paced, trying to work out the details of this scheme before the human arrived. He knew he didn't have much time, but Sans was talking to her right now. Probably torturing her with awful puns, as usual...

 

_Focus, Papyrus! You need a plan! This can work if you try hard enough!_

 

He continued to pace, automatically reaching up to touch his scarf, until he remembered that he had given that to the human. He recalled clearly in his mind the look of surprise on her face as he tucked the last end of the scarf away, how touched she had been at his gesture. He stopped his pacing, staring at a light gray tile as the memories of his short acquaintance flashed before his eyes. Her manners, her love of spaghetti, her bright smile as she worked through Sans' word search...the way her cheeks turned red when he said nice things to her...how warm her legs felt beneath his gloves as he held her up...the way her thighs pressed in on his skull-

 

 _That thought is ungentlemanly and completely unworthy of the Great Papyrus!_ He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. _She is your friend! You should have more respect for her!_

 

He shook away that thought, making a tight fist with his hands to bring himself back into focus. She would be here any minute and he needed to fix this puzzle! The tiny human had technically completed it, so the older human had to try it as well. Besides, if she completed this puzzle, odds were she would step on a green tile. And so she would have to FIGHT a monster.

 

She would have to FIGHT him. It was only fair!

 

_RING, RING_

 

The sound of his phone jerked him from his thoughts, and he hastily pulled his phone from his pocket. He didn't recognize the number, but answered anyway. Someone other than Sans or Undyne was calling him!

 

“HELLO? THIS IS THE GREAT PAPYRUS SPEAKING!”

 

“ _O-oh, thank g-goodness I got a h-hold of you, P-Papyrus...um...I'm in H-Hotland right now and...oh gosh, I-I didn't e-even say..._ ” He heard the feminine voice on the other end take a deep breath. “ _This is D-Doctor A-Alphys speaking...could you...um..._ ”

 

He gasped, his grin growing impossibly wider. “OH MY GOD! I CAN'T BELIEVE I'M TALKING TO THE GREAT DOCTOR ALPHYS! HOW ARE YOU?”

 

“ _O-oh, I-I'm doing alright. I...I can...I can recalibrate the p-puzzle you're on from my H-Hotland lab, b-but...you h-have to m-move off it first..._ ”

 

He looked down and realized he had been pacing and thinking on the puzzle (since it was broken), and he took two long strides to the east, giving Alphys room to work. “MY SINCEREST APOLOGIES, DOCTOR! THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR ASSISTANCE!”

 

“ _N-No problem, P-Papyrus...um...was t-there anything e-else you needed...while I-I'm still on the line, I-I mean?_ ”

 

“NO, THAT WILL BE ALL! THANK YOU AGAIN FOR HELPING ME! I CAN'T WAIT TO MEET YOU IN PERSON!”

 

“ _O-Ok...I'll throw t-the switch when i-it's time...gotta g-go!_ ”

 

_Click._

 

He raised a browbone at the phone, then pocketed it and crossed his arms across his sternum. “SANS!” he called out, wondering where that lazybones had run off to. Alphys was waiting now, and he didn't want to waste her time! The human needed to get here!

 

He heard their footsteps and watched them approach, the both of them silent. The human looked rather uncomfortable, but gave him a soft smile when she noticed him waiting. Sans teleported to his side (and the human flinched at that; she was obviously not used to his brother's abilities), and Papyrus raised his voice.

 

“THERE YOU ARE! I HOPE YOU'RE READY FOR THIS NEXT PUZZLE! IT WAS CREATED BY THE GREAT DOCTOR ALPHYS!”

 

“paps,” Sans murmured. “the machine is gone. how are you gonna work this puzzle?”

 

“SANS, I WAS JUST ABOUT TO EXPLAIN THAT! I JUST SPOKE WITH THE DOCTOR, AND WHEN SHE FLIPS THE SWITCH, THIS TILE PUZZLE WILL ACTIVATE!”

 

He quickly explained the different functions of each tile, and the human nodded along and didn't ask for another explanation. She gripped his scarf, a look of determination in her eyes.

 

His phone rang again.

 

“ _O-Okay...I'm flipping the switch now!_ ”

 

The puzzle flashed for several seconds, and the crazy kaleidoscope of colors made his eyesockets hurt. He had to look away to avoid getting a headache.

 

When it was finished, it looked far more proper than the previous time. He grimaced as he remembered how simple the previous puzzle had been, but this was truly a challenge!

 

“ALRIGHT, HUMAN! SHOW US WHAT YOU'VE GOT!”

 

…

 

She really should have asked him to repeat the instructions.

 

It had taken her ten whole minutes just to start, as she wanted to have a clear path in mind, just like in the last puzzle. And this time her confusion was absolutely genuine. The green tiles were absolutely unavoidable, and she just prayed with all her heart that she wouldn't have to FIGHT a monster for every tile she stepped on. Maybe Papyrus would let her off easy and only give her a couple of FIGHTs. But no matter what happened, she had to make it through. For Frisk.

 

She paused again, looking over her options. If she went to the left, a purple tile would move her to the next tile, which was pink, but the tile after was blue, and it was beside an electric tile. That wouldn't do. The path to the right had two blue tiles; the second blue tile touched an orange tile, so she could take that path if she wanted to go wading and risk getting bitten. She was currently on a pink tile, so that path would be acceptable if she had no other options, but with the cold and the piranhas, she was sure that path wouldn't be too fun.

 

She could go back, as she had come from a purple tile, so she might try that if nothing else worked and rework her path from there.

 

And in front of her was yet another green tile, beyond which were three red tiles.

 

She took the path to the right.

 

Sadie tried not to shiver too much as she waded into the knee-deep water, and the piranhas swimming around in it thankfully ignored her, brushing harmlessly by her legs. Directly in front of her, and at the very edge of the puzzle, was another pink tile, so she stepped on it so she could get out of this cold water before it soaked her pants through. An orange was next, then two purple, another blue (surrounded by green, red and pink, so there was no danger of electrocution or being bitten), so she waded through again, and the piranhas this time swam away from her. The slippery soap, she supposed, was repelling them. Then was another green tile, then pink, and she was out.

 

The entire process had taken over thirty minutes to complete, and Papyrus was grinning like it was his birthday.

 

“YOU SOLVED IT! YOU SOLVED IT SO QUICKLY! TRULY YOU ARE A MASTER OF PUZZLES LIKE MYSELF!”  
  


“Quickly?” she breathed incredulously, her teeth chattering. “Papyrus, that took me half an hour! But I got through...” She hugged her arms tight across her body, bouncing on the balls of her feet to stay warm. “W-w-what's next? How many monsters do I have to fight?”

 

“kid, are you sure you're ok? you look chilled to the bone.”

  
  
“SANS, THIS IS NO TIME FOR PUNS! CAN'T YOU SEE THE HUMAN IS VERY COLD?”

  
  
Sadie pushed her hands under Papyrus' scarf. “I don't know how you guys don't f-freeze out here.”

  
  
Papyrus stepped closer. “WE HAVE NO SKIN, OLDER HUMAN! ACCESSORIES SUCH AS MY SCARF ARE FOR FASHION ONLY! OUR AWESOME SENSE OF STYLE WILL KEEP YOU WARM!”  
  
"here, kid, take this." Sans took off his jacket and held it out to her. 

  
  
“Oh no, I couldn't.” She clung to the scarf. “I already have th-this, so I'll be ok."

  
  
The shorter skeleton frowned. “come on, kid, you look like you're gonna freeze. how can you help the squirt if you're a popsicle?”

  
  
“SANS, WE CAN'T LET THE HUMAN FREEZE!”

  
  
“i know, bro. that's why i'm trying to give her the coat.”

  
  
Papyrus turned to her expectantly, but she shook her head before he could speak. “The next puzzle isn't too far, is it?”

  
  
“two rooms over. take the jacket, kid, come on.”

  
  
“Did you offer it to Frisk?” she asked slowly, and Sans smirked.

  
  
“kid had a sweater. they didn't need the jacket.”

  
  
She opened her mouth to refuse again, but Sans continued. “but if you're going to make the argument i think you're makin', you should give back my bro's scarf.” He gave her a devilish smile. “since you're tryin' to be a martyr and all.”

  
  
She sighed and made to take off the scarf, but Papyrus stood firm. “HUMAN, I WILL NOT ACCEPT MY SCARF BACK UNTIL YOU REACH THE OTHER SIDE OF SNOWDIN!”

  
  
She stared at him, dumbfounded by his belligerence. Despite their differences, Sans and Papyrus worked well together as a team.

  
  
“come on, buddy. the longer you argue, the longer it takes for you to find the kid. just take the jacket, k?”

  
  
With shaking hands and downcast eyes, she finally conceded, shuffling the blue jacket onto her shoulders.

  
  
“Thank you, Mr. Sans,” she said very quietly.

  
  
“heh...see? it's a lot easier when you don't argue with us. you ready for the next puzzle? it's a doozy.”

  
  
“Uh...I thought I had to fight a monster. I stepped on a lot of green tiles, didn't I?”

 

Sans' grin widened, and he chuckled under his breath. “maybe you ought to check in that favor paps promised you, huh?”

 

“But...wouldn't that kind of be cheating? I think that'd be cheating, and I'd like to hold onto that favor, if it's all the same to you.” She looked to Papyrus. “What do you think?”

 

“I THINK YOU ARE RIGHT, HUMAN! ALTHOUGH THE TINY HUMAN GOT A VERY EASY VERSION OF THAT PUZZLE, YOU SHOULD STILL BE HELD TO THE RULES! GIVE ME A MOMENT, I'LL BE RIGHT BACK!”

 

He ran onward, leaving her alone with his brother.

 

“So...I don't have to FIGHT him right now?”

 

“nah. he'll probably grab a snowdrake or somethin' to fight ya.”

 

She snapped her fingers, trying to recall the bird-snowflake hybrid monster she had run from earlier. “Is that the one that tells the puns? Are you friends by chance?”

 

“heh.” The skeleton shrugged. “i'm not really friends with any monsters out here in the forest. they mostly keep to themselves.”

 

Her hands found her hips, and a mischievous smile touched her lips. “You know, I have a feeling...you and Snowdrake could be friends. You could bond over a love of puns.”

 

For a long moment, all she could hear was the wind. But then Sans doubled over, laughing like she had told him the funniest joke in the universe.

 

“oh my god, kid, you are something else!” He couldn't stop laughing for a good minute or so, and she tapped her foot, waiting for him to stop or for Papyrus to show up with her opponent. Thankfully he was snappy about finding her someone to FIGHT, and as luck would have it, a Snowdrake followed Papyrus into the room, staring at her with wide eyes.

 

“Is this the human I have to FIGHT?” it said uncertainly, and Papyrus nodded, crossing his arms across his sternum.

 

“YES, SNOWDRAKE, THIS IS THE HUMAN! DON'T WORRY, SHE IS VERY NICE! RULES ARE RULES, HOWEVER, SO WHENEVER YOU'RE READY, HUMAN, YOU MAY PROCEED!”

 

It seemed as if Papyrus and Sans were to stay and moderate the FIGHT, which made her feel better about this entire arrangement. She faced the Snowdrake, waving in greeting.

 

“ _Ice_ to meet you, buddy,” she said with a smirk. It looked surprised. “Don't you worry, I won't hurt you. Are you ready to go?”

 

It hesitated, the corners of its mouth curling up in a reluctant smile. “Alright, human! Macaroni and _freeze_!”

 

The world went dark around her, but she hardly noticed as she was too busy chuckling. Papyrus and Sans flanked the Snowdrake across the battlefield; the taller skeleton looked rather appalled at the joke, but Sans was chortling along with her. Snowdrake looked pleased.

 

“Ok, ok, I'll get to it then,” she finally said, still smiling. She looked at her ACT menu, and it seemed it hadn't changed. She couldn't even remember how to defeat Snowdrake, so she chose Laugh.

 

“I haven't even said a joke yet! What are you laughing at?” it yelled as she snorted into her hand. Her smile vanished immediately. Wrong move.

 

“I'm so sorry! I wasn't laughing at you, I promise!”

 

It attacked her anyway, growling in suspicion, and she scrambled to move her soul away from the trail of glowing circles. She had gotten a little out of practice since she had run from FIGHTs, but she somehow managed to not get hit.

 

“YOU CAN DO IT, HUMAN!”

 

“don't sweat it, kid, you got this.”

 

“Better not _snowflake_ out!”

 

Now she could Laugh.

 

Papyrus groaned at the Snowdrake's pun, but Sans looked elated, laughing way harder than her, and the bird-snowflake monster grinned in victory.

 

“See?!” it practically screamed as she chose Laugh again. “Laughs! Dad was wrong!”

 

She quickly Spared it, and found Papyrus staring sidelong at Sans and Snowdrake, who were now on a roll.

 

“hope you don't mind me _robin_ your spotlight there, buddy.”

 

“Not a problem. I don't have a _bone_ to pick with you!”

 

They both bent over laughing, and Sadie gave them a little wave as she passed them. Papyrus looked on in irritation, but she thought she caught a slight smile touch his teeth as he witnessed his brother having fun with another monster. She was just relieved she had survived the FIGHT with no injuries, and that her feeling that these two pun-loving monsters could be friends was at least halfway plausible. Maybe nothing would come of it, but maybe Sans wouldn't be so inclined to hurt her if she showed him that she meant no harm, and wanted to do good.

 

“Should we just leave them to it? I like puns as much as the next person, but too many at once...”

 

Papyrus looked relieved, and nodded eagerly. They made to exit the room when Sans spoke again.

 

“alright, buddy, i gotta hand it to you. the kid's pretty funny. thanks for thinking of me.”

 

“Hey, it was Papyrus who fetched Snowdrake in the first place,” she replied, shrugging. “I didn't do anything. I just had a feeling is all.”

 

“still, it was nice to meet another monster who likes puns. you know paps can't stand 'em.”

 

She gave him a tiny apologetic smile, clutching Papyrus' scarf with chilled fingers. Sans grinned at her, then turned back to the Snowdrake, ready with another pun; she and Papyrus made their exit.

 

“So...who do I have to FIGHT next?”

 

“NYEH? YOU ONLY HAVE TO FIGHT ONE MONSTER FOR NOW, OLDER HUMAN! AND...EVEN IF I DON'T LIKE PUNS ALL THAT MUCH...IT WAS NICE TO SEE SANS LOOKING SO HAPPY.”

 

Her fingers slipped from his scarf, and her eyes softened as she glanced sidelong at her companion. “I know, right? I was kind of shocked when he told me he and Snowdrake weren't already friends. I mean, the first step in friendship is shared likes or experiences, right?”

 

“WHAT DO YOU MEAN, HUMAN? IS THERE A MANUAL ON FRIENDSHIP I SHOULD READ? WILL IT MAKE ME POPULAR?”

 

She started to explain that there were actually several books on how to make friends, but remembered that they were Underground and probably didn't have the nicest selection of books. And then his last statement floored her.

 

“Papyrus...I don't think you need a manual to make friends. I think you have all the tools necessary right now.” She reached up and rubbed his scarf. “You've been so, so good to me, and to the kid, and I can't thank you enough for your kindness and mercy towards me! I can't tell you how happy I am that I had the chance to meet some of the nicest monsters in the Underground, and right out of the Ruins too!” She looked down at the snow, watching Papyrus' boots sink slightly into the snow with each of his long strides. “And...for what it's worth...you're already popular with Sans. And the kid.” She smiled up at him, her heart racing as she moved forward with her next statement. “And with me.”

 

Heat bloomed on both their cheeks, and they looked pointedly away from each other. Sadie waited for at least a minute before trying to speak, hoping she hadn't made her companion too uncomfortable, but Papyrus beat her to it.

 

“YOU'RE...T-THANK YOU, HUMAN. I-I...I THINK...THE NEXT PUZZLE WILL BE REALLY SIMPLE AFTER THE TILE MAZE. W-WE'RE ALMOST THERE. AFTER THAT, YOU'LL FIGHT ONE MORE MONSTER.”

 

“Who am I FIGHTing?”  
  


He looked like he was sweating again. “Y-YOU'LL SEE...”

 

They passed a small dog house, and she remembered seeing several more along her journey through the forest. Were there other guards besides Sans and Papyrus who patrolled this place? And if so, where were they?

 

“Papyrus...are there other guards out here?” she asked, pointing out the dog house. He nodded.

 

“AH YES, THE SNOWDIN FOREST CANINE UNIT! THEY'RE ALL AT GRILLBY'S AT THE MOMENT!”  
  


“Really? So am I going to FIGHT one of them?”

 

“NO, NOT IF THEY'RE GOING TO LEAVE THEIR POSTS UNATTENDED LIKE THIS! IF THEY HAVE NOT COME OUT BY THE TIME YOU REACH SNOWDIN, THEN THEY HAVE NO RIGHT TO ATTACK YOU! IF THEY WANTED A CHANCE, THEY SHOULD HAVE BEEN OUT HERE ALREADY, NOT SLACKING OFF AND PLAYING CARDS!”

 

She chuckled. “They play cards? That's...that's so adorable.”

 

“I ASSURE YOU, HUMAN, THEY ARE NOT ADORABLE!” He looked rather disgruntled at that suggestion, so she just chuckled and dropped the subject. They were at the next puzzle anyway.

 

A small field of ice lay before her, marked with X's (presumably to be turned to O's again), but there were no walls on the sides of the field, making it precarious should she fall off. A path to the right led down a hill, and she quickly checked to make sure there was something below this puzzle and that she wouldn't be falling into some abyss should she mess up and go too far. She already had a little experience with ice patches down here, how easy it was to glide from one side to another, but she suspected it was very easy to fall off this puzzle.

 

Papyrus slid forward first, catching an X on his way across, but then he made a fantastic leap across the gap on the other side, landing in the shadow of the trees beyond.

 

“YOU CAN DO IT, HUMAN! I WILL WAIT FOR YOU AT THE LAST BRIDGE!”

 

“Ok, see you in a bit!”

 

He gave her a jovial smile and wave, then slid off towards his destination (so there must be ice in the patch of trees then), leaving her to solve the puzzle without encouragement or distraction. Oh well. This shouldn't take very long.

 

Once she understood how to solve the puzzle, the matter of physically doing it became the new challenge. She slid off the puzzle on her very first attempt, falling at least a story down onto the snow. To her utter amazement, she wasn't hurt more than a couple bruises, so she got up and dusted herself off, taking a closer look at where she had landed. It was a snowy little corner, and standing side by side on the ground was an exaggerated sculpture of Papyrus, and a lump of snow with the word 'Sans' written on it, in what appeared to be red marker. She smiled to herself, taking better note of the sculpture. Unless the tall skeleton had some secret admirer, she thought she knew who had made this.

 

She trudged back up the hill and tried again, and finally, on her fourth attempt, she managed to make it through the puzzle without sliding off.

 

She slid on through the trees and, after a quick check to the south to make sure she was going the right way, she proceeded upwards and east, to a long wooden bridge that spanned a gaping chasm. She could see more forest down in the valley, and a lake with an island on it, and more slopes beyond that rose up to meet the ceiling of the cavern. It was a beautiful sight, everything covered in snow and ice, but the nicest sight was waiting for her on the other side of the bridge.

 

She could see the twinkling lights from here; a quaint, quiet village was nestled in between the bounds of the forest and what looked to be a river, and from the lights and decorations that she could see, she was strongly reminded of Christmas. Did monsters even have Christmas? Did that tradition stay alive from when they were on the surface? She shrugged her shoulders and made her way across the bridge, where Papyrus was pacing, his hands a flurry of motion as he seemed to be talking to himself. She slowed her approach, clearing her throat once she got in hearing range of the tall, gangly skeleton.

 

“YOU MADE IT!” he said once he noticed she was waiting. He clapped his hands together, a grin as wide as a mile stretching across his face. He gestured to the town behind him, inviting her to enter.

 

“WELCOME TO SNOWDIN TOWN, HOME OF PAPYRUS! AT LEAST, THAT'S WHAT THE SLOGAN SHOULD BE. I'M STILL APPEALING THEM TO CHANGE THE SIGN. SO FAR, NO LUCK, BUT ONE DAY!”

 

She smiled up at him, then turned to the sights of the little town. The very first thing she noted was a shop and an inn right at the entrance of the town, and beyond, a few homes. At the very end of the “block” was a place called Grillby's, which looked from the outside to be some sort of bar. Then Papyrus' previous statement clicked in her head, and she gave the place a wide berth; if the entirety of Snowdin's guard was in there, she didn't want to cross paths with them.

 

Papyrus noticed that she put him between her and Grillby's. “AH, YOU ARE VERY WISE IN AVOIDING THAT PLACE! IT'S NOTHING BUT A SLICK OF GREASE!”

 

From what she had seen in the Ruins and the forest, it wouldn't surprise her in the slightest if that place was run by a literal pile of grease.

 

The street split past Grillby's, with one path continuing to the east, and the other branching north towards the river. At this split, Papyrus stopped and turned to her, looking a little nervous.

 

“FEEL FREE TO EXPLORE THE TOWN, OLDER HUMAN! I WILL BE WAITING FOR YOU ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE SNOWDIN, TO THE EAST! JUST GO PAST MY HOUSE AND I'LL BE THERE! THEN YOU CAN FIGHT YOUR NEXT MONSTER AND CONTINUE ON YOUR PATH!”

 

She nodded, and after a quick debate with herself, decided to act on her impulses; she reached for him, lightly touching his arm. “Thank you so much for everything you've done for me, Mr. Papyrus. But thank you especially for watching out for Frisk. I can't thank you enough for that.”

 

“THIS SOUNDS LIKE A GOODBYE, HUMAN, AND I DON'T BELIEVE IN GOODBYES! JUST SEE-YOU-LATERS!”

 

Sadie couldn't help but chuckle. “I like that about you, Papyrus! But no, this is not a goodbye. This is just a thank you for being so kind to me and the kid. I'll be along in a minute, ok? I want to check out the shop back there for something.”

 

“VERY WELL THEN, HUMAN!” He looked pleased at her admission, and returned the gesture, lightly touching her shoulder as well. “I WILL SEE YOU AT THE OTHER SIDE OF TOWN. DON'T BE TOO LONG!”  
  


“I won't,” she assured him, and then he was off. She watched him go, then quickly backtracked to the shop. The minute that he had mentioned that she would pass by his house on the way out gave her the idea to give him a little gift, but knowing she was in a time bind made her break into a sprint. She flew past Grillby's and the inn, and slipped into the shop.

 

A bunny lady hummed to herself as she tidied behind the counter, but looked up with surprise when she strode up to the counter. A smile spread across her muzzle as a greeting, and Sadie returned it, waving for good measure.

 

“Hello, welcome to Snowdin! Another fresh face, huh? That's two in the past week. Are you from the capital?”

 

For a second, Sadie stood there, confused, but she supposed that it had been ten years since they had seen a proper human, and perhaps she and the kid didn't fit their memories of what a human looked like.

 

“No, but I am from out of town. I just have a few questions. Do you know a skeleton by the name of Papyrus?”

 

The bunny lady chuckled. “Do I ever! He comes in here all the time to buy pasta and tomatoes! He makes spaghetti all the time, but his brother says I shouldn't eat it.”

 

“Really?” Sadie grinned and shook her head. “Well, I've had his spaghetti, and I have to say, with a little work, he could turn out a great dish. The sauce was amazing!”

 

“Oh, how wonderful! I'm glad he's improved. He is such a cheerful young monster. He always says hello when I see him, and he's always so well-mannered! His brother is quite popular around these parts. He's a sentry, you know.”

 

“Yes, I've met him too. They're very different. But...other than pasta and tomatoes...is there anything else Papyrus likes to buy?”

 

The bunny lady shrugged. “If there is, he doesn't buy it from me. That's all he ever comes in here for.”

 

She hung her head, but rallied as she quickly rethought her plan. “Do you by chance sell pen and paper?”

 

The bunny lady nodded and gave her a price, and with what she had, she could buy two pieces of paper, a pencil, and something called a Bicicle, which the bunny explained was a health item. So she could use it in this final FIGHT if she needed to.

 

She paid for her items and rushed out of the store, quickly finding a flat surface to write on. A box sat in the snow outside the door, so she decided to use that.

 

_Dear Papyrus,_

 

_I just wanted to thank you again for everything you've done for me and the kid. This isn't a goodbye, just a thank-you note for being so kind. I don't remember having so much fun doing anything as when I tried your puzzles and your pasta. I look forward to cooking with you, and remember you promised to show me that cooking show you like._

 

_Papyrus, if I've learned anything on my journey through the forest, it is that_

 

How could she explain how she felt without coming off as creepy? She didn't want to scare him, but she wanted him to know in a physical format that she had come to care for him, that she wanted him to succeed in his endeavors and be happy in life. She crossed out her previous sentence.

 

_Papyrus, on my journey through the forest, I have come to know you as one of the kindest, sweetest, most considerate monsters I've ever met. If this is how you were with Frisk, it's no wonder to me that you're now friends. I wish you all the best in life. I hope you get into the Royal Guard, and become a master chef, and make friends with the entire Underground. The world could use more of you, and if everyone had your outlook on life, I don't think this whole situation with monsters underground would have come to be. We would all be on the surface living as good friends._

 

_I want to find a way to get you all out of here. I want to see you and Sans and all your friends up on the surface. I want you to see the sunlight again, and feel the breeze and see actual snow. I hope someday I can help make that dream a reality. In the meantime, I just wanted to say thank you again for everything, and I hope our new friendship lasts a lifetime._

 

_Your newest friend,_

_Sadie_

 

_P.S. That snow sculpture of you is fantastic! The Great Papyrus is truly multi-talented!_

 

Satisfied, she folded up the letter (the bunny didn't have envelopes) and addressed it to Papyrus. As she ran to his house, she noted the mailbox out front with his name on it. His was empty, but the one beside it, labeled 'Sans', was overflowing with junk mail. She placed her letter in the mailbox and put the flag up, then walked swiftly towards the outskirts of town, where Papyrus was likely waiting.

 

She didn't see him at the very edge of the village, so she kept going, braving an icy wind that picked up right outside of town. For a moment she thought he had changed his mind or had given her the wrong directions, but then she noticed a dark figure ahead, pacing back and forth and fiddling with their hands.

 

“Papyrus?”

 

The figure turned to her and rushed forward, and it was indeed Papyrus. He looked nervous, sweat beading on his skull, but he gave her a forced smile and waved in greeting.

 

“HELLO, OLDER HUMAN...ARE YOU READY FOR YOUR LAST FIGHT?”  
  


She frowned at him. “What's wrong? You look really nervous. Is there something you need to tell me?”

 

“WELL...” He looked down at his gloves. “HUMAN, ALL I'VE EVER WANTED IN LIFE IS TO GET INTO THE ROYAL GUARD. I'VE BEEN IN TRAINING FOR A LONG WHILE, AND...IT SEEMS I WON'T GET IN UNTIL I DO SOMETHING REALLY IMPRESSIVE...”

 

She thought she knew where this was going, but decided to let him say his piece. “That being?” He looked away, but she pressed on. “Papyrus, you can tell me. It's ok.”

 

He looked at her with the saddest eyes she had ever seen, and she frowned. “HUMAN, IF I'M GOING TO GET INTO THE ROYAL GUARD...”

 

He glanced away again, and took a deep breath. “I'M GOING TO HAVE TO CAPTURE YOU.”

 

The darkness began to fall around them, and her soul was pulled out of her chest, floating cold and silent in front of her. She understood now what he had meant by FIGHTing another monster.

 

She would have to FIGHT Papyrus.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DUN DUN DUN! *dramatic reverb*
> 
> Whatever will Sadie do now?


	6. The FIGHT

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sadie FIGHTs Papyrus and Sans has a surprise.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so so much to everyone who's reviewed so far! And thank you all for your suggestions in the comments!
> 
> I know a lot of people were excited to see Sadie Flirt with Papyrus, but I did something a little different in this one. Tell me in the comments if you want me to write a bonus chapter with the Flirt button.
> 
> Enjoy!

The Judgment Hall was one of the few places monsters could see sunlight.

 

Granted, it wasn't warm like it was supposed to be, but golden light filtered through the cracks of the cavern above, casting the hall in sharp, contrasted stripes of yellow sunlight and dark shadows. It was one of the most beautiful rooms in the Underground, despite lacking the warmth one would expect from the sun.

 

And here he waited, watching the kid walk across the tiled floor, silent and forlorn, nearly tearful. Did they understand at last the truth of their situation? Would they break their streak of pacifism and kill Asgore to go home? He hoped not. All his Hope had drained away, slipping bit by bit from his soul as reset after reset made him realize the futility of his existence, how pointless it was to try anything. But this run...this was new. Never before had _two_ humans fallen into the Underground at the same time. Never before had it looked like one might save the other, but as to who would save who, he couldn't tell. Frisk was very kind and gentle, a lively little kid despite their quiet nature, and they radiated a sort of timeless wisdom that he found comforting. Sadie was just as kind, just as gentle, but he could feel the fear fighting with hope every time they spoke. He supposed his threat to her hadn't really helped matters. He had given a similar spiel to Frisk, and they had taken it the same way they took everything: stone-faced, neutral posture and a slight shrug and a sigh.

 

He had a feeling Sadie might take the fall for the kid, might try and give up her soul to Asgore once she learned the entire truth. But then something told him Frisk wouldn't let things go that way. They wouldn't settle for that path. They might be trapped down here for the rest of their lives, or maybe there was some other answer that the two of them could provide.

 

He couldn't say at this point.

 

The kid was slightly startled to see him at first, but then smiled and listened patiently through their judgment. Still LV 1. No EXP. A pacifist through and through, and smiling all the while.

 

This child was something else.

 

“i know you're eager to go home, kid,” he said, and they cocked their head to the side. “but you might want to hold off on talkin' to asgore for a bit. did alphys tell you?”

 

They nodded.

 

“so you know about the other human that came looking for you?”

 

The kid frowned. Apparently Alphys had neglected to mention that to the kid. Maybe she hadn't had time between reactivating puzzles and getting Mettaton to do her dirty work. That little yellow lizard really had changed over the years, but he didn't have the energy or inclination to ask himself why. They all had to deal with their situation in their own way, and it was no easy feat being the Royal Scientist.

 

“well then, little buddy, i have some interesting news for ya. another human fell down here after you, and she's been searching for you for almost two days. if i remember correctly, she should be in snowdin by now, with paps. and her being here...buddy, can't you see? that changes everything.”

 

The kid continued to frown, but then settled into a smile. They reached out their hand.

 

“so you wanna go back?”

 

Frisk nodded, and Sans gave them a hearty smile.

 

“then follow me, buddy. i know a shortcut.”

 

…

 

“You don't have to do this! We don't have to FIGHT!”

 

Sadie stayed still as a line of bones passed under her soul. Papyrus' bone attack left lots of breathing room and she barely had to move to avoid them. Even still, she knew this couldn't be his only attack.

 

“HUMAN...I HAVE TO DO THIS! I HAVE TO ACHIEVE MY GOAL OF BEING IN THE ROYAL GUARD! I HAVE TO IMPRESS UNDYNE!”

 

She shook her head, sighing as she looked at her ACT menu. _Check. Plead. Confess._

 

 _What in the heck does it mean by Confess?_ she thought to herself. _Like, confess to a crime? Confess my sins?_

 

She decided to Plead again.

 

“Please, Papyrus, we can stop this! I don't want to FIGHT you!”

 

He flushed red, his hands aflutter as he fiddled with his gloves. He seemed reluctant to attack, and she saw a possible opening. If she kept Pleading, maybe he would stop and she could continue on her way.

 

Yet another line of bones passed under her, and she Pleaded again on her turn. “Please, stop! I don't want to do this anymore!”

 

“BUT I HAVE TO DO THIS! THIS IS MY LIFE'S DREAM!”

 

Another bone attack.

 

“Isn't there some other way we can resolve this? I have to find Frisk! I have to make sure they're ok! I don't think I could ever forgive myself if I didn't do everything I could to help them.”

 

His eyesockets widened, and he looked as if he might cry. She thought surely she had gotten through to him.

 

“OH, HUMAN...I'M SO SORRY...”

 

Yet another bone attack.

 

Although she was curious about what Confess would do, she decided not to try that. She couldn't mess this up, or risk offending or hurting Papyrus if it turned out to be something sinister. There had to be another way around this!

 

She Pleaded again, to no avail.

 

And now she was stuck in a loop. Even after pleading several times, she hadn't gotten through to him. He was silent now, staring at her with a forlorn look. And she couldn't risk trying to Confess, so she used her only other option.

 

“SO YOU WON'T FIGHT...THEN LET'S SEE HOW YOU FARE AGAINST MY BLUE ATTACK!”

 

At least fifty bones rushed towards her, all of them glowing blue. She had no way to dodge them all, but she remembered Sans' advice.

 

_Blue means stay still._

 

So she froze and let all the bones pass through her; each bone sent a chill down her spine as it phased through her body, leaving her feeling like she had been temporarily dunked in freezing water. But it was over quickly and the field was clear.

 

And then her soul sunk to the ground.

 

A feeling of heaviness washed over her, and she felt as if she had ten-pound weights strapped to her arms and legs. She tried moving her soul back up, but it fell back down, pulled towards the ground by some magical gravity.

 

“YOU'RE...WELL, YOU WERE ALREADY BLUE, BUT THAT'S MY ATTACK! NYEH HEH HEH!”

 

If there was ever a time to Plead, it was now.

 

“Please, Papyrus, we can still stop! I don't like this! I don't want to FIGHT!”

 

His eyes closed as a pained expression spread across his face, but he shook his head. “NYEH...I'M SORRY, HUMAN...BUT I HAVE TO CAPTURE YOU!”

 

Several bones rushed towards her, widely spaced as they made their way towards her soul. She lifted it, watching the blue heart rise in the air over the first bone, and it floated back down, falling back to the ground. Again she jumped, and again, and once she finally got the hang of it, a bone came from the other direction and crashed into her soul.

 

Searing pain laced up her spine, and she bit her lip to stop from crying out. It hurt more than other times she had been attacked, but she still had 21 HP. She could still go on.

 

With a deep breath, she chose to Spare again, and another bone attack sped across the field. A bone cluster formed an arch which she had to jump over, and she barely made the leap, crashing down hard on the other side of the attack, just in time to see another cluster rushing her way. Again she leapt, and this time she couldn't avoid getting hit.

 

The sting seared her back, making her short of breath, and she barely managed to avoid the last cluster. Adrenaline coursed through her veins and blood pulsed in her ears; she was down to 17 HP.

 

If there had been a Flee option, she might have taken it, but as it stood, she had to face this FIGHT until the end. She could only hope, as she hit the Spare button once more, that Papyrus would find it in him to be merciful. He didn't want to kill her after all, she told herself in a vain attempt at comfort. He only wished to capture her and deliver her to Undyne.

 

When she had entered this FIGHT, the shock of having to face off against someone she thought to be a friend was frightening, and hurt her. She thought she could trust Papyrus. But looking back, she realized that he had a job to do, a mission to accomplish, a dream to chase. And who was she to get in the way of that? If her work required her to arrest someone, could she really disobey the law for a stranger she could barely call friend? If their roles were reversed, could she really say she wouldn't take the same path he had chosen?

 

Clinging to her 9 HP, she chose to Plead again. “I understand you're only doing your job, Papyrus,” she said in a quiet voice. “But if you can find it in your heart to do so, could you please stop this FIGHT? I don't want to FIGHT you. It hurts me for us to be like this, and I don't mean physical pain.”

 

He stayed silent, his eyesockets glowing orange at the rims.

 

An alternating pattern of blue and white bones raced across the battlefield, and she threw herself back into the fray. Fortunately this time, she didn't get hit, and she chose to use an Item. She hadn't expected the tingling sensation that spread through her body as she ate one half of the Bisicle, but her pain faded and she felt almost revived to full health. And when she checked, her HP had been restored to 20.

 

Of course, that advantage didn't last very long.

 

She panted for breath, dithering between Plead and Spare, her HP drained down to 10. Toriel had given her three slices of pie for her journey, but she decided it would be better to use them now instead of saving them for later. She needed them now.

 

“NYEH? WHAT'S THAT SMELL?” He stared at the piece of pie in her hand. “THAT LOOKS VERY GOOD, HUMAN! WHERE DID YOU GET IT? DID THE BUNNY AT THE SHOP MAKE IT?”

 

“No, I got it from...a friend. Back at the Ruins.”

 

“OH! SANS SPENDS A LOT OF TIME AT THE ENTRANCE TO THE RUINS! MAYBE YOU TWO KNOW THE SAME FRIEND! IN ANY CASE, IT WON'T BE TOO LONG NOW BEFORE I HAVE TO USE MY SPECIAL ATTACK!”

 

Papyrus' attacks were getting slower, with plenty of space for her to land in between them, but this magical hold on her soul was quickly draining her of energy. Despite him going easy on her, her technique became sloppier the longer she was trapped in the FIGHT. And it cost her in health, as she hung in at 6 HP. It took actual effort to lift her hand and Plead.

 

“Please...Papyrus...can't we just be friends? Please, I'm begging you...”

 

“NYEH...”

 

A slow march of bones progressed slowly towards her soul, and even with him giving her the easiest attack he could muster, she still managed to get hit. 2 HP.

 

Every muscle in her body screamed at her to keel over, to give in to the weariness and pain washing over her. Her knees felt like water, and she shook with effort just to stand.

 

She ate another piece of pie.

 

“NYEH HEH...ARE YOU READY FOR MY SPECIAL ATTACK? I GOT IT BACK FROM THAT DOG AND I...UM...MAYBE I SHOULDN'T USE IT ON YOU AFTER ALL. HOW ABOUT A REALLY COOL REGULAR ATTACK?”

 

She nodded in agreement, relieved that he chose to go easy on her. But of course, the long march of bones was too much for her abysmal dodging skills, and she was back down to 5 HP. It may have been a regular attack in the amount of damage it dealt, but she noted it was much longer than his usual attack cycle. Or at least it felt like it lasted longer. Maybe because she was badly hurt now; everything ached, and she wanted nothing more than to lie down and pass out.

 

She still had one more piece of pie left, but she wanted to save at least one. For Frisk. And maybe to give a bite to Papyrus, since he had expressed interest in it.

 

“If this is how it has to be...I understand, Papyrus...you have to do your job...but please...please don't let Frisk be hurt...please...”

 

“HUMAN, I...I...”

 

Three bones slowly glided across the field, and though her mind told her to move her soul aside, her body didn't react quick enough. She dodged the first one perfectly, but the second bone overtook her before she could jump. Weariness overtook her body as she felt the pain slice through her, felt her soul searing with heat as his attack touched her, but she did not die. She collapsed onto the snowy ground, somewhat grateful for the burning cold, as it soothed her aching muscles.

 

“Papyrus...I thought...”

 

Thin arms worked their way underneath her, and lifted her up against a warm, solid body. She heard a soft crunching sound, boots walking through crisp snow.

 

“NYEH,” a soft, silvery voice murmured to her, speaking brightly through the haze over her vision. “HUMAN...S-SURELY YOU DID NOT THINK I WOULD KILL YOU? THE GREAT PAPYRUS WOULD NEVER MURDER ANYONE, FRIEND OR FOE, HUMAN OR MONSTER! YOU ARE SIMPLY MY CAPTIVE NOW. YOU CAN REST AS WE WAIT FOR UNDYNE TO ARRIVE!”

 

“So...” She could barely breathe the word, and could not finish the thought. It hurt too much to think.

 

His grip on her tightened, so much that she could feel his phalanges beneath his soft, warm gloves. “THE GREAT PAPYRUS WILL NOT ALLOW FURTHER HARM TO COME TO YOU! AND THE TINY HUMAN IS SAFE, I ASSURE YOU! AND NOW YOU ARE MY CAPTIVE! BUT WORRY NOT, OLDER HUMAN! I WILL MAKE SURE YOU ARE WELL CARED FOR WHILE YOU ARE IN MY CUSTODY!”

 

A tiny chuckle escaped her lips. “I had no doubt of that...Papyrus?”

 

“NYEH?”

 

She relaxed in his hold, leaning her head into his chestplate. “Why are skeletons so warm? Are you running a fever?”

 

“N-NO...I-I DON'T THINK I'M RUNNING A FEVER...I G-GUESS I'M JUST NATURALLY WARM! MOST MONSTERS ARE, UNLESS THEY'RE MADE OF WATER OR ICE.”

 

“Mmm...” She couldn't think of anything else to say. It hurt too much to do anything but close her eyes and accept her fate. She couldn't even think of a backup plan, she was so tired. And Papyrus was so warm...

 

“SANS! SANS! LOOK! I DID IT! I FINALLY DID IT! I CAPTURED A HUMAN!”

 

“heh. nice job, bro...she looks _bone_ tired.”

 

She heard a child giggling, the light trill of laughter cutting into her weariness, catching her attention. She forced her eyes open and saw a wild mop of brown hair, and blue and magenta stripes...

 

Papyrus sighed. “I'M GOING TO IGNORE THAT PUN, SANS. BECAUSE IT IS A PLEASANT SURPRISE TO SEE MY GREAT FRIEND AGAIN! LOOK, FRISK, I FINALLY CAPTURED A HUMAN!”

 

Her eyes slid closed, not before seeing a tiny hand give Papyrus a thumbs-up. But then darkness and the lull of sleep embraced her, and she collapsed completely into the skeleton's arms.

 

…

 

_Blue and pink striped sweater..._

 

She slowly drifted to consciousness, expecting to feel a barrage of pain from all her injuries, but she felt warm and comfortable. She hardly felt like waking up, but she remembered that she had to do something important...

 

_Jean capris, dark brown sneakers..._

 

Was this all just a nightmare? Had she imagined everything about the monsters and the fight with the skeleton? Had she dreamt that a child had gone missing? What was so important that she had to wake up now?

 

_Brown hair and eyes, 4'2''..._

 

She slowly opened her eyes and stared languidly at the blue-violet sheets. Her toes curled as she extended her legs, and she felt her heel touch the footboard. But she didn't have a footboard...?

 

Wait...her sheets were grey...and her apartment's carpet was the color of oatmeal, and did not include a decorative rug with flames on it. And her bed was not in the shape of a racecar.

 

Sadie sat up, her heart racing, and immediately she groaned and held her head. Although she had thought she might have dreamed everything, including her fight with Papyrus, it was all too real. She was sore and tired, every muscle protesting her quick movement. She rubbed her temples, hoping that monsterkind at least had something akin to aspirin so she could rid herself of this headache.

 

Movement to her left caught her attention, and she looked over to find a small child sitting by the bed, swinging their little legs as they waited for her to wake up.

 

_May have speaking impediment or learning disability._

 

“Frisk?” she croaked, and the child smiled, pointing at a glass of water on the floor next to the bed. “For me?”

 

Frisk nodded and motioned something with their hands, but Sadie couldn't discern what they were trying to say. She ignored the glass of water and slowly slid her legs out from under the covers. “Do you have any idea how worried we were for you, kid?”

 

The child frowned, looking down at the floor; they looked ashamed.

 

“I'm not mad at you, I promise. I was just worried. We all were. The orphanage was in a panic. We were about to call for more volunteers and even thought we might call the National Guard...we were worried for you, Frisk.”

 

They said nothing, but rubbed their chest with a closed fist. She knew what that meant, at least. _Sorry_.

 

“It's ok. The important thing is you're safe...God, I can't tell you how happy I am to see that you're safe.”

 

They signed something, but she frowned, not understanding; the thought crossed her mind that the paper in her pocket was wrong about Frisk possibly having a learning disability. They seemed perfectly bright and aware, but did not speak. They signed instead, and never before had she wanted to know ASL.

 

“I'm really sorry,” she said with a sigh, rubbing her chest for emphasis. “I don't understand sign language. I only know one or two words, if that.”

 

Frisk simply shrugged.

 

“So...Frisk...are you alright? You've made it through the Underground on your own, but...is everything ok?”

 

The child gave her a thumbs-up, a slight smile touching their lips. Well, they were at least keeping a cheerful attitude about things. Sadie sighed.

 

“I...I don't know what we're going to do now. Did you fight Papyrus?”

 

They nodded.

 

“Did you beat him?”

 

Another nod.

 

She looked down at her hands, sighing in defeat. “I couldn't...wouldn't beat him, I guess. I didn't want to use my last health item, and I...I knew he wouldn't hurt me.” She smiled. “Guess I was right, huh?”  
  


Frisk nodded again, a little smile spreading across their face. They gave another thumbs-up, then slipped off the chair, handing her the water.

 

“Thank you, Frisk.” She downed the water and set the glass back on the floor. “So, um...I'm Papyrus' prisoner now...and we're waiting for Undyne to arrive.”

 

They pointed to the floor, and as she tried to figure out what the kid meant by it, she heard shouting down below.

 

“UNDYNE, PLEASE! THE HUMAN IS NOT AWAKE YET! IF YOU'RE GOING TO TAKE THEM TO ASGORE, THEN THEY MUST AT LEAST BE WELL ENOUGH TO TRAVEL!”

 

“I don't care about that, Papyrus, it's time to finish this! The little brat got away, but this next human isn't going to get the chance! No funny business, just straight to Asgore so he can sort this out!”

 

The new voice was feminine, yet rough and gritty, harsh, like a warrior's. She reached for the scarf still wrapped around her neck and stiffened when she heard a knock at the door.

 

A yellow lizard wearing a labcoat slipped into the room, quickly adjusting the glasses perched on her nose. “O-o-oh, you're awake...I-I-I thought you m-might still be a-asleep...P-Papyrus wanted to know i-if y-you wanted any s-spaghetti, Frisk. He thought y-you might be h-hungry...”

 

Frisk shook their head, and Sadie sat up fully to face this new monster.

 

“Hi. Can we help you?”

 

“J-Just came to deliver a m-m-message to F-Frisk, is all. I-I...I'll leave y-you two alone...and l-let them know y-you're awake now...”

 

“Hey, wait, come in! I don't know your name.”

 

“Oh! I-I'm Doctor Alphys,” she said, scuttling over and holding out a clawed hand. Sadie noted the many calluses and scrapes along the monster's fingers, and supposed the doctor might work with her hands. “I-I'm Asgore's R-Royal Scientist...b-but I...um...” She trailed off and looked at the floor.

 

“I'm Sadie Baker,” she offered, taking the monster's hand and shaking it. “It's very nice to meet you. Are you the same Dr. Alphys who made that tile puzzle?”

 

“T-that was me! I-I've been watching y-you on my console s-since you stepped out of the Ruins...y-you've done a good job s-so far! A-And your d-dedication t-to finding F-Frisk! I...I don't know w-what it is about w-watching someone on a s-screen, but...I...I wanna h-help you, if I can! I-I've been h-helping Frisk through H-Hotland and some of the C-Core! B-B-But...the Core...i-it rearranged on m-me...I couldn't h-help past a certain p-point...I'm sorry, F-Frisk, for not b-being...a better help...”

 

Frisk walked over to Alphys and patted her on the back, and the lizard gave them a shaky smile. “Thank you, Frisk. Y-You're a good f-friend...even if...well, hey! I-I-I think...” The lizard blushed. “Like I s-said, I-I've been watching you from my l-lab, and...can I just s-say...you and P-Papyrus...I...kind of...thought of a f-fanfiction...a-about you two...um...I should probably j-just forget it. It's too creepy.”

 

“You thought of a story about me?” she said, chuckling in surprise. “I'm not laughing at you, I swear, I just...I'm flattered, honestly. But yeah...unless I can return the favor and write a fanfiction about you and your adventures, um...let's not, maybe?”

 

Alphys turned completely red from the top of her scales to the hem of her labcoat, and Frisk chuckled, hiding their giggles behind a small hand.

 

“So, what happens next?” she asked Alphys. “I suppose we have to go see Asgore now? Frisk?”

 

She turned to the child, who suddenly looked rather dour as they looked resolutely at the floor. “Guys?” Her voice was low, her heart racing again. “What's the matter?”

 

“I-It's...um...there's something you should know...before you go meet Asgore...”

 

Alphys fiddled with her claws and stared at a spot on the carpet. “I-In order to go through the b-barrier...it takes more than just a strong soul. It takes at least one human soul...and one monster soul...in the same body.”

 

The lizard looked up at her as she slowly put the pieces together. “Do you understand? If you want to go home, one of you is going to have to take a monster soul. Maybe even both of you will have to. You'll have to kill Asgore.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We found Frisk! Huzzah! 
> 
> What do you think the Confess button would have done?


	7. A Helping of Information

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The team tries to decide how to proceed. Also, fluff.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you guys so much for continuing to support this story! I can't tell you how happy I am to read all your reviews! Hope you guys enjoy the chapter!

Bright citrine tears gathered in his eyesockets as he read over Sadie's letter a second time. _She...she wants to be my friend! She called herself my newest friend! I have a friend! She wants to help us!_

 

“SANS...OH, SANS...”

 

His brother brushed more snow off his jacket and fixed his eyelights on him, his smile faltering in concern. “what is it, bro? who wrote the letter?”

 

Papyrus clutched the piece of paper to his chest, staring abashedly down at the carpet. “SANS...SADIE WROTE IT. SHE WANTS TO BE MY FRIEND!”

 

“well, of course she does,” his brother said with a wink. “who wouldn't want to be friends with the great papyrus?”

 

He sighed. “YES, I KNOW...BUT I THOUGHT, AFTER OUR FIGHT...SHE WROTE THIS BEFORE SHE LEFT SNOWDIN. SHE HAD TO HAVE DROPPED IT OFF ON HER WAY TO OUR FIGHT...AND NOW...I'M NOT SURE IF SHE STILL WANTS TO BE FRIENDS...”

 

Sans frowned. “why wouldn't she want to be friends?”

 

“I HURT HER, SANS! I FOUGHT HER! SHE SPENT THE ENTIRE BATTLE ASKING FOR ME TO STOP, AND I KEPT GOING BECAUSE IT WAS WHAT I HAD TO DO...BUT I DON'T WANT TO HURT HER! I DON'T WANT TO FIGHT HER AGAIN! I WANT US TO BE FRIENDS!”

 

“you fought frisk, and they seem to like you just fine.”

 

“FRISK FLIRTED WITH ME DURING THE BATTLE, AND THEY SEEMED LIKE THEY WERE HAVING FUN! THEY SPARED ME WITH A SMILE! BUT SADIE WAS NOT HAPPY TO BE FIGHTING!”

 

“The kid flirted with you?” Undyne yelled from the kitchen, and she appeared in the doorway, a wild grin lighting up her face.

 

“YES, UNDYNE, FRISK FLIRTED WITH ME. IT WAS...VERY ODD.”

 

“But this older human is a wimp, huh?”

 

“SHE IS NOT A WIMP! SHE IS A VERY KIND-HEARTED PERSON, WHO IS DETERMINED TO HELP THE CHILD AND ALL OF MONSTERKIND!”

 

Undyne cackled. “I don't mean to contradict you, Papyrus, but that's the biggest lie I've ever heard! The best way she can help us is to give up her...um, I mean, give herself up to King Asgore. She's not doing much helping by lying around all day. Seriously, Pap, you're going to have to let me take her to the king! And that's an order. The king knows what to do.”

 

“I KNOW WE HAVE TO TAKE HER TO KING ASGORE, BUT SHE PROMISED SHE WOULD COOK WITH ME! AND WATCH METTATON'S COOKING SHOW, SO WE CAN'T GO YET! IT WOULDN'T DO TO MAKE THE HUMAN BREAK HER PROMISES! SHE WOULDN'T LIKE THAT!”

 

“What makes you say that? What do you even know about this human, Papyrus?”

 

“HER NAME IS SADIE AND HER SOUL TRAIT IS INTEGRITY, UNDYNE! SHE WOULD NOT WANT TO BREAK A PROMISE! AND I WILL NOT BE THE ONE TO MAKE HER GO BACK ON HER WORD! WE WILL COOK TOGETHER AS SHE PROMISED, AND WE WILL WATCH METTATON'S COOKING SHOW, AND THEN, AND ONLY THEN, CAN YOU TAKE HER TO THE KING!”

 

He surprised even himself with his outburst, but he could not say it was unjustified. The human was his friend, HIS captive, and she was a guest in his household as she recovered from their FIGHT. Even though Undyne was his friend, she had no right to forcibly remove a guest from his house. Not on his watch, on his honor as a skeleton.

 

Undyne stared at him, dumbfounded and speechless, and he left the spaghetti to her capable hands and marched upstairs to check on his newest friend.

 

Just as he reached the top of the stairwell, he heard Undyne whisper something to Sans. “When did your bro get a backbone, Sans?” she hissed, perhaps not realizing he could still hear her.

 

“it's always been there. right under his battle body.”

 

“ _Sans_.” Papyrus suppressed a groan, rolling his eyesockets.

 

“i dunno, undyne. i think that human has something to do with it, though.”

 

“Are you saying what I think you're saying?” Undyne sounded gleeful, but he focused his attention on taking care of his human friend. She needed him now, so he shut out their conversation and knocked on the door to his room.

 

…

 

Sadie breathed in slowly, mouth agape as she took in Alphys' information. Frisk still looked dour, staring at the flames on the accent rug with weariness in their eyes, a worn, hopeless expression that did not belong on a child's face.

 

“Frisk...” she began, then swallowed thickly. She could think of nothing to say. There was nothing to say. A monster had to die if they were to be free, and something told her that Frisk would agree: no amount of freedom was worth taking another's life. There had to be some other way. She wasn't entirely sure what, but perhaps Asgore would be open to some alternative suggestions? She certainly hoped so. Toriel had a poor opinion of the king (as he had apparently killed six humans), but Papyrus believed going to meet the ruler of the Underground wouldn't be an issue at all. Perhaps Asgore had changed? Perhaps Toriel didn't know the entire story? Or perhaps Papyrus was far too trusting for his own good and didn't understand the gravity of the king's decisions?

 

“Frisk,” she repeated, taking a deep breath. “We'll figure something out, I promise. There has to be some way for us to go free...for everyone to go free, without killing a monster. Maybe there's another answer out there.”

 

The child shrugged, swinging their legs. Alphys was quiet, and Frisk looked resigned. She sighed, fiddling with an edge of the blanket. This bed was surprisingly soft and comfortable, and she wondered how in the world a racecar bed had gotten down here in the first place.

 

Just as she was about to ask who's room she was in (she could tell from the frost on the window that she was most likely still in Snowdin), someone knocked on the door. Papyrus peeked in, a worried expression on his face.

 

“HUMAN? OH THANK GOODNESS, YOU'RE AWAKE!” He rushed into the room (though shut the door quietly behind him), sat beside her on the bed and reached out to touch her shoulder. “OH, H – SADIE...I READ YOUR LETTER...I...YOU ARE...”

 

He gave up with a 'nyeh' and fiddled with his gloves. “UNDYNE IS DOWNSTAIRS, BUT I TOLD HER UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES ARE YOU TO LEAVE THIS HOUSE WITHOUT FULFILLING YOUR PROMISES!”  
  


She opened her mouth to reply, surprised, then closed it; she couldn't think of a good enough thank-you for allowing her a breather. She needed time to think, and he had given her an out.

 

“Oh, Papyrus, thank you! Of course I won't leave until we've hung out...I wouldn't want to disappoint you, after all. I'm looking forward to cooking with you, and watching Mettaton's show.”

 

“NYEH HEH HEH, I KNEW IT! I TOLD UNDYNE YOU WOULD NOT WANT TO BREAK YOUR PROMISE!”

 

“Never!” she agreed. He nodded in satisfaction, and she hesitated for a moment before pressing forward, despite how awkward she felt asking this question. “So...about that letter...does this mean we can be friends now?”

 

His grin could have cured deadly disease, and his cheeks flared bright orange; before she could contemplate this wonderful sight, he flung his arms around her and pulled her to him, embracing her as a squeal fit for a little girl escaped her throat. She didn't even know she could make that sound.

 

“YES, HUMAN! WE CAN BE FRIENDS NOW! OH, I'M SO HAPPY YOU WANT TO BE FRIENDS WITH ME!”

 

She vaguely remembered how warm he had been after their FIGHT, but something about being completely enveloped by his embrace sent a new kind of warmth coursing through her veins. She sunk into him, letting him support her as she relaxed into his hold. Her arms quickly came around to return the hug, squeezing him tightly with one arm as her right hand reflexively stroked his spine. She made sure her hands didn't stray below his battle body, and his hands remained just as chaste as he pulled her even closer.

 

How could she not see until this moment how much she had wanted this?

 

This embrace was everything she had put into that letter, but made physical. Every emotion and heartfelt sentiment she had poured into her words came alive, manifest in touch. Her eyes slid closed as his hand reached up and stroked her hair, and she returned the gesture in kind, lightly tracing circles at the base of his skull. He sighed, leaning back into her fingers, and she rubbed her cheek over his shoulderpiece.

 

“Isn't it funny?” she whispered, squeezing him. “I don't want to let go.”

 

“I DON'T WANT TO LET GO EITHER, MY FRIEND...” His voice registered quietly (surprisingly so) in her ear. “I'M SO SORRY FOR HURTING YOU...”

 

“You did what you had to. You were doing your job, and I wouldn't want to be the reason you couldn't achieve your greatest dream. I will not be the reason. And there's no need to apologize.”

 

“HUMAN, WE'VE BEEN OVER THIS...PLEASE...ACCEPT MY APOLOGY.”

 

She sighed. “You won't let me live it down if I insist you did nothing wrong, huh?”

 

“NYEH HEH! YOU KNOW I WILL NOT! PLEASE...PLEASE, SADIE...”

 

A little nuzzle to his shoulder sealed her words. “Apology accepted, friend...I'm so happy I can call you that. I know it's a strange situation, being down here, but...I can't help but feel like we've somehow known each other forever, like we were always supposed to be friends...does that even make sense?”

 

She heard a low chuckle from him, and she smiled into his battle body. “IT MAKES PERFECT SENSE.”

 

“U-Um...you g-guys have been hugging f-for like, five m-m-minutes now, and although I-I think it's very sweet, I think maybe y-you should...um...”

 

Sadie pulled back, staring at Alphys and Frisk in shock. She had completely forgotten that others were in the room, and heat rushed to her cheeks. A matching flush spread across bone as Papyrus stared pointedly at the ceiling, beads of sweat appearing on his forehead.

 

“I-I THINK THE SPAGHETTI SHOULD BE DONE BY NOW! I'LL GO CHECK!”

 

He hesitated, then squared his shoulders and leaned forward, nuzzling his nasal bone into her hair. “I WILL RETURN, FRIEND, WITH CELEBRATORY SPAGHETTI! TO OUR FRIENDSHIP!”

 

And with that, he rushed out of the room, his face almost glowing red-orange. She was certain now that he could blush, and had been blushing. And as Frisk pointed out by clasping their own cheeks, her face was red from hairline to neck.

 

Alpys looked like Christmas had come early, with stars shining in her eyes, and Frisk looked rather smug as they crossed their little arms across their chest.

 

“Hey, Frisk?”

 

The child perked up, and she turned to face them. “When you fought Papyrus...what did the Confess option do?”

 

They frowned.

 

“In your ACT menu? You know, Plead or Confess? Or Check? What did Confess do?”

 

Frisk continued to frown, and made a writing sign on the palm of their hand. She looked around for a pen and paper, but Alphys was ahead of her, pulling a notepad from her labcoat. Frisk scribbled down a few words and showed it to her.

 

_Check or Flirt or Insult_

 

“Those were your options?” The kid nodded with a tiny smile. “So...what did you do? Just Spare him?”

 

They pointed to Flirt.

 

“Wow...ok...how did that work out for you?”

 

Frisk shrugged and shook their head, and Sadie sighed, staring morosely at the door. “I guess I'll never know then. I'm not FIGHTing him again. Never again.”

 

The kid sat beside her and wrapped an arm around her, and she smiled returning the gesture with a side hug. “So what have you been up to, kid? Last I heard you were in the Core, about to go meet Asgore.”

 

They nodded, scribbling something else down on the paper.

 

_Sans told me about you and brought me back._

 

She was silent for a good minute before she slowly stood and picked up the water glass off the floor. “I guess let's go downstairs and talk this out, team. We need a plan. But first, let's just go ahead and eat, huh? Papyrus is waiting.”

 

Frisk nodded, and Alphys stood from the chair. “Are y-you sure you sh-should be walking?”

 

“I feel alright. I'm sure some food will do me good.”

 

The lizard sighed and moved to open the door, and she followed Alphys downstairs to the living room, Frisk at her heels.

 

**…**

 

Papyrus closed the door behind him with a smart _snap_ and rushed down the stairs, his cheekbones burning bright red-orange. She had hugged him for five minutes. She had hugged him! They were friends now! He had another friend!

 

And she was so warm when he held her...so soft, and malleable, with gentle curves and silky skin that felt good against his bones...

 

 _Ungentlemanly thoughts again?_ he berated himself silently. _What has gotten into you?_

 

He breathed out slowly to steady himself and marched into the kitchen, humming to himself. Undyne was tending the spaghetti noodles, the pot roiling away on the highest heat the stove could manage. Flames licked the sides of the pot, and the water splashed onto the stove and the floor.

 

“So!” the fish woman shouted in greeting. Sans was splayed across the couch, snoring away. “Did you talk things out with your girlfriend?”

 

His cheeks had calmed to a slight pink tinge, but her words made the blush return with a vengeance. “SHE'S N-NOT MY GIRLFRIEND, UNDYNE! SHE IS MY FRIEND!”

 

“Uh-huh.” Undyne turned back to the stove, her good eye glinting in mischief. “She must be pretty special, though...for you to stand up for her like that. To stand up to me.”

 

He stared at the floor. “I SHOULDN'T HAVE BEEN SO HARSH. I'M SORRY, UNDYNE. BUT WHAT I SAID STILL STANDS! I FOUGHT HER, SHE'S MY GUEST, AND SHE'LL GO TO MEET ASGORE WHEN SHE'S READY!”

 

“Hey, I'm not mad, Papyrus! It took guts to say what you said, and to my face too! You're a lot tougher than people give you credit for, that's for sure!”

 

He flushed again. “THANK YOU, UNDYNE! ARE YOU GOING TO STAY FOR DINNER?”

 

“Yeah, I have to, and you can guarantee that when she's delivered to the Capital, I'm chewing out all the dogs for not being at their posts. I mean, she waltzed right into Snowdin without so much as one canine seeing her! Slackers!”

 

“WELL, YOU CAN REST ASSURED I DID EVERYTHING I COULD TO SLOW HER PROGRESS! AND I DEFEATED HER IN BATTLE...THOUGH I DON'T FEEL SO GREAT ABOUT THAT ANYMORE...”

 

“Why not? You defeated a human, Pap, all on your own! No one to help you or back you up! You stood your ground like a true guardsman!”

 

“UNDYNE...I...” He dared not hope she meant... “WHAT ARE YOU SAYING?”

 

“I'll deliver her to the Capital, and while I'm there, I'll talk to the King! You might just make the guard yet, Pap!”

 

“OH, UNDYNE, REALLY??? WOWIE! EVERYTHING I'VE ALWAYS DREAMED! I KNEW MY PLAN WOULD WORK!”

 

“What?” She put her hands on her hips and stared at him with that sinister-looking eye. “What are you talking about?”

 

He cowed a bit beneath her gaze. “I MEAN...WHEN THE HUMAN STARTED GETTING THROUGH THE PUZZLES, I FELT...BAD ABOUT HAVING TO FIGHT HER AT THE END OF IT ALL, BUT THEN I THOUGHT IF I CAPTURED HER AND DELIVERED HER TO YOU, I'D BECOME A GUARDSMAN AND STILL KEEP HER AS A FRIEND! AFTER ALL, IF I'M IN THE ROYAL GUARD, I'LL HAVE TO SEE THE KING AT LEAST ONCE A WEEK, SO I'LL SEE THE HUMAN TOO!”

 

Undyne looked uncomfortable, but the look faded, and she grinned at him. “Well, you did a good job capturing them, Pap. Second time's the charm, huh?”

 

“OH YES! THE LITTLE HUMAN IS VERY VERY NICE, BUT THEY ARE QUITE SKILLED AT GETTING THE UPPER HAND ON MONSTERS! THEY MUST REALLY WANT TO GO HOME!”

 

“So are you going to let Frisk go home? You're not going to hold them, just me?”

 

Papyrus and Undyne turned around, and saw Sadie bracing herself against the doorway, Frisk right behind her; Alphys lingered in the living room. Undyne narrowed her eyes at the newcomers and smirked in victory.

 

“Yeah, human. I guess I'm only holding you prisoner until Asgore decides what to do. I'm sure you've figured out what happens next.”

 

Sadie sighed, looking down at Frisk with a weary expression. His small friend shook her head up at the older human, looking just as dour. Why did everyone look so sad all of a sudden? Asgore was a big fluffy pushover. They had nothing to worry about!

 

“And you understand I have promises to keep before I go, right? This may take a bit. I promised Papyrus I would cook with him, and watch Mettaton's cooking show, and I'm not going back on that. You've waited ten years for another human to fall down here. I think you can wait a little bit longer. I promise you, I won't run away, or try to fight or hide. Just...let me do this little bit first, ok?”

 

Undyne squared her shoulders and glared down at the two humans. “Make it snappy, human. We've waited ten years for this, and I don't want to keep the Underground waiting for very much longer. Alphys has already alerted Asgore about the two humans coming to see him, so he'll be expecting you.”

 

“DON'T WORRY, HUMAN, THERE'S NO NEED TO FROWN! KING ASGORE IS VERY KIND, AND WILL DO EVERYTHING HE CAN TO SEE THAT YOU GET HOME! DON'T LOOK SO SAD! UNLESS YOU'RE SAD THAT WE WON'T BE ABLE TO HANG OUT AS OFTEN, BUT WORRY NOT! THE GREAT PAPYRUS WILL COME VISIT YOU! AND BRING YOU FRIENDSHIP SPAGHETTI!”

 

She smiled up at him, and he felt his soul pulse with affection and worry as her eyes glimmered with unshed tears. Why did she look like she might cry? The tiny human looked a little sad as well, but it was harder to read their expressions.

 

“Thank you, Papyrus,” she whispered, her grin widening despite her shining eyes. “I think I'll need that while I'm there...and speaking of spaghetti, is dinner ready? I'm really hungry.”

 

“NYEH HEH HEH! DINNER IS ABOUT TO BE SERVED! I'M GLAD YOU'RE HUNGRY, BECAUSE UNDYNE AND I MADE PLENTY OF SPAGHETTI FOR EVERYONE! DOCTOR, ARE YOU GOING TO STAY FOR DINNER?”

 

Alphys sputtered for a bit, mumbling something about getting some reports done, but eventually she agreed to stay. Undyne smiled at that, and Papyrus shot her a knowing look. He had listened to too many late-night rants about how special the doctor was to Undyne, so he knew it was only a matter of time before the two of them became an item. Head of the Royal Guard and Asgore's Royal Scientist. It would be the talk of the Underground!

 

With that thought to cheer him, and smiling at the fact that he had gotten his way and would hang out with Sadie, he asked Undyne to set the table so he could plate up spaghetti for everyone.

 

This would be a good night.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh, dost mine eyes detect shenanigans on the horizon? Ho boy...this should be interesting!
> 
> Next chapter's kind of heavy, but hopefully the chapter after that can lighten the mood. I haven't quite decided yet. I didn't even expect this middle portion to happen, but I think it feels right, somehow.


	8. Keeping Promises

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sadie talks things over with Sans and Alphys. And then someone crashes the party.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for reviewing! I'm so glad you're all enjoying the story!

Since there were so many people in the house, Papyrus relegated their pet rock to his room and grabbed a few more chairs from a closet; they all crowded around the table, which had been moved out from the wall to make room.

 

She wasn't sure if it was the FIGHT that had drained her so much, or the fact that she hadn't had a proper dinner before going to meet Papyrus, but she managed two platefuls of spaghetti, more than anyone else in the house. There was still plenty left over in the pot, as the other five individuals hadn't eaten very much. Papyrus and Undyne both had a large helping, but Frisk barely touched their plate, and she didn't think Sans took one bite. At least, she didn't see him eating. His pasta was slowly disappearing somehow, though how he managed this, she wasn't sure. Alphys ate half a plate and said that was plenty, though she looked rather pale the rest of the evening.

 

But for what it was worth, Undyne made even better sauce than Papyrus. There was a notable absence of glitter this time (though the taller skeleton complained and added some to his helping), which made it easier to digest. The flavors were just as fresh and wonderful as the frozen plate she had eaten in the forest, but better this time because it was hot off the stove. The noodles were nearly raw, but she powered through anyway, letting her hunger override her gag reflex.

 

“This pasta is really good, Undyne,” she said halfway through her second plate. Papyrus beamed, and the warrior actually laughed.

 

“Fwuh huh huh! See, Papyrus? We're awesome cooks!”

 

“INDEED WE ARE! HUMAN, DID YOU KNOW IT WAS UNDYNE WHO TAUGHT ME HOW TO COOK?”

 

“I can see where you got your talent. This sauce is excellent. Can I have the recipe later, maybe?”

 

Undyne's golden eye narrowed, a sinister grin spreading across her smooth face. “What makes you think I want to share my recipe with punks like you?”

 

“UNDYNE, WE SHOULD GIVE HER THE RECIPE! THE HUMAN IS OUR FRIEND!”

 

The fish lady took another bite of pasta, cracking the dry noodles with her sharp fangs. “Papyrus...I don't give out my recipes to just anyone. Especially not dorks like her! Only cool friends get to know the secrets of my culinary masterpieces!”

 

“YOU MEAN...I'M YOUR COOL FRIEND?”

 

“The coolest, Papyrus!”

 

She could have sworn Papyrus' eyes were glowing with reddish-orange light, and the entire table could see the splotches of color on his cheekbones.

 

“WOWIE, UNDYNE! YOU ARE THE COOLEST FRIEND TOO! AND FRISK IS THE SMALLEST FRIEND! SANS IS THE LAZIEST AND BROTHERLIEST, AND DOCTOR ALPHYS IS THE NERDIEST! SADIE IS THE NICEST!”

 

No one had the heart to contradict this statement, as everyone except for Sans blushed. The shorter skeleton leaned back in his chair, and his smile didn't look so strained. Frisk hummed happily, their red cheeks aglow as they got up to give Papyrus a hug. Undyne quietly ate her spaghetti, and Alphys looked like she could use a good dunking in ice water to cool her down.

 

Sadie reached for her water glass once Frisk returned to their seat, and she raised it high. “A toast, everyone. To having the honor of being friends with Papyrus!”

 

Undyne sloshed water all over Frisk as she hurled her glass towards the ceiling, and Alphys nearly spilled hers as she raised the cup with shaking hands. Frisk's grin could have lit the room, and even Sans looked pleased, though he barely raised his glass.

 

“Here, here!” came the cheer, and Papyrus hid his face in his hands.

 

Too soon, their quiet little dinner came to a close, and Sadie gathered up everyone's plates and cups and set them carefully on the counter.

 

“Papyrus, I can't reach your sink.”

 

The skeleton jumped up to help her, easily stashing the dishes in the sink, and she returned to the living room to grab a chair so she could clean up.

 

“welp, i'm goin' to grillby's. see ya around, kiddos.” Papyrus glared at his brother, tsking his teeth as he wiped a rag over the table.

 

“Sans?” she called before he could leave. He turned and raised a browbone at her, his grin becoming strained. “Could I walk with you to Grillby's? I'd like to ask you a few things, if that's ok.”

 

“well...i'd say that's a _pasta_ -bility.”

 

“SANS!”

 

Undyne rounded on the shorter skeleton with a growl. “Sans, I swear to Asgore! Besides, the human can't leave! They're my prisoner!”

 

“UNDYNE, I THOUGHT WE HAD ESTABLISHED THAT THE HUMAN IS MY HOUSEGUEST!”

 

“I'm not running away, Undyne. I just wanted to talk to Sans for a bit. Actually, if Alphys could come too, that'd be awesome.”

 

“CAN THE GREAT PAPYRUS COME TOO? I DON'T LIKE GRILLBY'S, BUT IF MY FRIENDS ARE ALL GOING, THEN I'LL GO TOO!”

 

She couldn't think of an excuse for him to not come, but fortunately Frisk chose that moment to nudge Papyrus, signing something to him. He apparently understood what they wanted, because he handed them the rag and started putting chairs away. The kid set themselves about cleaning the table, and Papyrus quickly returned with the pet rock.

 

“I just need a bit of air, Papyrus. I'll be back in a minute.”

 

“VERY WELL, HUMAN FRIEND! PLEASE DO NOT STAY OUT IN THE COLD TOO LONG! AND DON'T STAY TOO LONG IN THAT GREASE-TRAP EITHER!”

 

“I won't, I promise. Frisk, please stay here with Papyrus and Undyne.” The kid nodded, giving her a thumbs-up for good measure.

 

Sans opened the door, gesturing for her to go first out the door, and she obeyed, Alphys on her heels. The trio walked in silence for about a block, heading to the light and warmth of Grillby's. She had no intention of stepping inside, so she stopped on the northbound street and leaned against the wall of the Librarby.

 

Sans leaned against the wall with her, perhaps intuitively understanding why she wanted to ask these questions out of earshot of Frisk and Undyne, and especially Papyrus. Alphys huddled to the wall as well, which blocked most of the wind blowing from the east.

 

“S-So...u-uh...what did y-you want to a-a-ask that you couldn't a-ask in front of Undyne and P-Papyrus? Are you w-w-worried about meeting Asgore?”

 

“Yeah,” she said quietly, staring blankly at the snow in front of her. She contemplated the shape of Alphys' footprints, and the fuzzy imprint of where Sans' slippers had trod. “There's no good answer, is there? If we want to go home, we have to kill a monster. Maybe even two for both of us to pass through the barrier. Or else one of us gives our soul to Asgore. Is that how it works?”

 

“Y-Y-Yeah...why are you t-telling us this?”  
  


“I'm just going over our options out loud. Right here, right now, killing is off the table. And I know the kid is with me on this one. I...I can't kill someone just to go home. There has to be some other way of getting through that barrier.”

 

Sans let out a long sigh, his breath steaming in front of his teeth. “that's the only way we know, kid. don't you think we've looked at every option already?”

 

“I would be shocked if you hadn't...but maybe some fresh eyes on the subject will lead us to a solution? I don't want to have to kill anyone. I _won't_ kill anyone...but I'd rather not die if I can help it.”

 

“W-We don't w-want you to die, S-Sadie! We j-j-just...we just...”

 

“You want to get out of this place. I understand. If it comes down to it...I'm older, so it's only fair that I be the one to...”

 

Sans frowned at her. “what are you sayin', kid?”

 

“Frisk will not die, no matter the cost. That is my primary goal here, to keep them safe and get them home.”

 

She touched the badge in her pocket, breathing in deep. The snow swirled around at her feet, and Alphys shivered.

 

“I'm sorry, Alphys, maybe we should have had this conversation in Grillby's. At least it'd be warm.”

 

“O-Oh, it's ok! I'm j-j-just used to Hotland temperatures, and, um...w-when you'd be the one t-to...did you mean...?”

 

She could feel Sans' gaze on her, and Alphys' too. She nodded slowly, gripping the badge. “So if I give myself up and go with Undyne willingly, does that mean I don't have to FIGHT anyone else? I'll go straight to Asgore? Or...”

 

“that seemed like her plan. you should be in the clear. no more fights.”

 

She nodded. “Unless Asgore won't...nevermind. I'm keeping you from Grillby's, Sans. Me and Alphys will head back.”

 

“kid,” he said with a sigh. “we'll figure somethin' out. it's not as cut and dry as you think, you know.”

 

“You probably could have made a pun out of that,” she replied with a rueful smile. “Thank you, Sans. For not killing me.” She sighed. “I don't want to hurt anyone. And at this point, if I was given the choice...I'd rather live and die down here peacefully than have to kill to go home. If that's my only option...if I can live...then...why not here? With such good friends?”

 

Alphys turned pink, and she thought she saw blue tinge Sans' cheeks. “ah, kid...you wanna stick around and hear more of my hilarious jokes?”

 

“I'd listen to a thousand of them. I'd rather throw myself off a cliff than have to hurt you...I think I can see now...monsters don't necessary like to FIGHT. You're peaceful and friendly, and...it's not hard to like you.”

 

Scaly arms wrapped around her middle, and she returned the hug, gripping the yellow lizard as if her life depended on it.

 

“Does this mean we can be friends too?” she whispered, and Alphys simply nuzzled her snout into her shirt. “Good...thank you, Alphys.”

 

“N-N-No problem! I-I-I...I'm glad y-you want to be my f-friend!”

 

“Of course I do! You're really sweet!”

 

She felt a bony hand lightly pat her back, but when she turned around, Sans was gone, as if he had evaporated in thin air.

 

“Does he always do that?”

 

“Y-Yeah...he can teleport...h-h-he did that a-a-all the time to me w-when we w-worked together...”

 

“You used to work together?” They started back towards Papyrus' house.

 

“Yes, b-but that w-w-was a long time ago...back before...um...anyway, I b-bet Papyrus w-w-will be happy to know y-you want to stay! He...h-he really cares about you...”

 

She gripped the scarf around her neck, nestling her nose into the worn fabric. The smell of Italian spices and pine tickled her senses, and she closed her eyes, trying to capture more of that smell. “He cares about everyone...he cares so much about his friends. And it makes me so happy, just to be in the same room with him, you know?”

 

“I-I-I know the feeling...” She had a distant look in her eye, but then gasped and clasped her cheeks, looking up at Sadie with an almost manic expression. “Did you j-just...are y-you saying you like Papyrus?”

 

“What? Yeah, of course I do! Who doesn't like Papyrus?”

 

“N-No, no, no, I mean...do you...do you have a crush on him?”

 

She stopped dead in the snow, heat rising in her cheeks. Alphys watched her, practically glowing as she bounced on her feet, waiting for an answer.

 

“I...” She rubbed the back of her neck, gripping the scarf a little tighter. “I mean...I don't know? I haven't really thought about it...”

 

“Well, I was just thinking, what if the C-Confess option in your FIGHT was a chance for you to _confess your love_? To tell him that you care for him with undying passion! To sweep him off his bony feet and k-kiss him until you couldn't feel your lips anymore? Oh, that would have been so cute!”

 

“Wow, I...”

 

She didn't think her face could get any hotter. The wind bit her skin, and she hunkered down further into the scarf.

 

“I-I know it's kind of w-weird for me to be asking this, b-but...I don't want you to miss a chance at happiness. You're a really nice person, Sadie. You're t-trying so hard to d-do the right thing...it's no wonder your soul is blue.”

 

Sadie frowned. “What do you mean by that? I just thought all souls were that color. Is your soul not blue?”

 

“No, n-no, monster souls are white! And human souls are upside-down from monster souls, so the point is facing upwards! B-But...your shade of blue means you have a lot of Integrity. And F-Frisk...F-Frisk's soul...”

 

“What color do they have?”

 

“Red.” Alphys looked nervous, fiddling with her claws. “That m-means they have a lot of Determination.”

 

She got the feeling she should drop this line of conversation. Beads of sweat appeared on Alphys' forehead, and she didn't want to make her new friend uncomfortable.

 

“Well, anyway...I mean...Papyrus is one of the kindest, most gentle people I've ever met. He's just so...self-confident and good...he's so full of love...but I can't bring myself to start anything right now, what with the thing with Asgore and all that...you know...since I might not...”

 

Alphys put her arm around her. “Hey, d-d-don't say that! The King is really r-really nice! He'll l-listen to y-you...j-just wait and see!”

 

She forced a smile on her face and turned to open the door to Papyrus' house, but someone beat her to it.

 

“Hey, punk! It's about time you showed up! Since it's too late to have a cooking lesson, we're watching that weird robot on TV, and Papyrus said you promised to watch it with him! So hurry up!”

 

“I'm on it, ma'am! Hang-out session is a go?”

 

Undyne narrowed her eyes, baring her long, sharp teeth. “You're hanging out with Papyrus because I am _indulging_ him. If it were anyone else who had captured you, you'd be in the Capital right now, facing Asgore. So you'd best cherish the time you have left, because Papyrus is the only thing keeping you alive. Got it?”

 

She practically shrunk under that burning gaze, and she bowed her head. “Yes...and thank you. For allowing this.”

 

The fish woman cackled. “Papyrus! Your girlfriend is a bigger goodie-two-shoes than the kid!”

 

“SHE IS NOT MY GIRLFRIEND, UNDYNE! NOT THAT I AM OFFENDED THAT YOU THINK THAT, BUT I HAVEN'T EVEN ASKED HER ON A DATE!”

 

With flushed cheeks, she re-entered the house and joined Papyrus and Frisk. The skeleton had saved her a seat on the couch, and Undyne sat on her other side. Frisk and Alphys sat on the floor; it seemed everyone was staying to watch Mettaton on TV.

 

“OH, UNDYNE, ARE YOU STAYING TO WATCH TOO? AND DOCTOR ALPHYS? IS THIS A SLEEPOVER?”

 

“Might as well be, Papyrus. It's late, so we'll keep the human here tonight and I'll take them to Asgore tomorrow. And don't think for a moment that I'm letting them out of my sight!”

 

“REMEMBER, SHE PROMISED TO HAVE A COOKING LESSON TOO!”

 

“I know, Pap! All the more reason for me to stay, to make sure you two nerds are doing it right!”

 

“UNDYNE, I'VE MEMORIZED EVERYTHING YOU'VE TAUGHT ME IN OUR ONE-ON-ONE TRAINING! I KNOW HOW TO DO IT RIGHT!”

 

“Yeah, I know, Papyrus! But I'm still staying. To make sure the human doesn't go anywhere.”

  
“I'm _not_ going anywhere, Undyne,” she retorted, avoiding Papyrus' eager gaze. “I've been through a lot to get to this point. But I assume you want to stay to make sure I don't try to escape?”

 

The fish lady bared her teeth again. “I don't trust humans. Besides, it's my duty to guard the Underground, and ensure any humans that come down here are delivered to Asgore.”

 

She sighed, nodding her head. “I understand, and I respect your dedication to your job.” She didn't dare ask why Frisk had been allowed to go free, but she decided she could always ask that question later.

 

The show finally started, and a shiny rectangle with arms appeared on screen, sporting a chef's hat. “ _Good evening, beauties and gentlebeauties! Welcome to the Underground's premiere cooking show, Cooking With A Killer Robot ™_!”

 

“So that's Mettaton, huh?”

 

Frisk smiled and nodded, and Alphys looked nervous again.

 

“Yeah, that's Mettaton!” Undyne said, and she squeezed Alphys' shoulders. “This genius here made him a long time ago!”

 

Sadie sat up and stared at the doctor. “Wait, what? You made Mettaton?”

 

“Y-Y-Yeah...he's a-actually, um...h-h-he...u-uh...”

 

It seemed like yet another thing that made Alphys uncomfortable, so she dropped it, but Papyrus jumped on that train of thought.

 

“YOU DID A FANTASTIC JOB, DOCTOR ALPHYS! SURELY YOUR SKILL IS UNPARALLELED!”

 

“T-T-Thank you, P-Papyrus...I just...um...hey, it looks like he's making a q-q-quiche today!”

 

“Quiche?” Undyne leaned forward, pressing her legs to Alphys' back. “I haven't tried making that yet! We should do that tomorrow, Papyrus!”

 

“UNDYNE, WE'VE NEVER TRIED TO MAKE QUICHE! SANS TRIED ONCE, AND IT TURNED OUT TERRIBLY! THOUGH I APPRECIATE THE FACT THAT HE TRIED!”

 

The fish woman raised her dark eyebrows in shock. “Sans made a quiche?! Sans actually did something for once?”

 

Papyrus grinned. “YES, HE TRIED BAKING SOMETHING! I DIDN'T GET A CHANCE TO TRY HIS CREATION, THOUGH...I NEVER SAW IT AFTER SANS PULLED IT FROM THE OVEN!”

 

“That's too bad...I still think we should try to make a quiche of our own tomorrow!” Undyne said with a smirk.

 

“WELL, I SAY WE DO SPAGHETTI! THE HUMAN DID ASK FOR OUR RECIPE!”

 

“I told you, I'm not giving her that recipe! She doesn't deserve it!”

 

“It's ok, Papyrus,” Sadie interjected, trying to keep the peace. “We can try making a quiche. I haven't made one since high school, but I think I can remember the basics. Do you have eggs?”

 

“OH MY GOD! UNDYNE! THE HUMAN CAN TEACH _US_ HOW TO COOK A QUICHE! IT'LL BE SO MUCH FUN!”

 

“Papyrus, I thought _we_ were supposed to be teaching her?”

 

The skeleton looked conflicted, sweat starting to bead on his forehead as he looked between the two women on his couch. Undyne looked like she might try to suplex the couch if he didn't concede to her plan, and Sadie could almost feel the hostility in the fish's gaze.

 

“Papyrus,” she said, smiling at him. “Whatever we choose to do, I know we'll have fun. I like spending time with you!”

 

“R-REALLY?”

 

Undyne and Alphys shared a glance, and Frisk smirked. “Yes, Papyrus, how is that so hard to believe? You're a really awesome person!”

 

Red flared on his cheeks, and the two other monsters in the room shared a conspiratorial look. Frisk leaned closer to Alphys and signed something to her, and the lizard giggled, pulling out her phone to text someone.

 

“FRISK!” She jumped at Papyrus' shout. “THAT'S...NOT GENTLEMANLY! PLEASE!”

 

“What did Frisk say?” she asked the skeleton, but he was too flustered to answer. “Kid, what did you say?!”

 

They only chuckled, and Alphys turned bright red as Undyne burst out laughing. “Ok, this kid is growing on me!” Papyrus groaned and held his head in his hands, and Sadie tried not to glower at Undyne for making the skeleton uncomfortable.

 

No one noticed that the cooking show had ended early, and that the television had switched over to a re-run.

 

“Frisk, what did you say?” Sadie demanded, crossing her arms across her chest. “Come on, tell me.”  
  


The child simply shrugged, leaning over to look at Alphys' phone. Sadie made to lean over too, but the lizard held it close to her chest, flushing red as she showed Undyne her text message.

 

“Really?” the fish said with a sigh. “You invited _him_ over? How's that going to help us here, Alphys?”

 

“Invited who?”

 

Before she could get an answer, the door slammed open, revealing a square robot and an entire filming crew.

 

“ _WELCOME BEAUTIES AND GENTLEBEAUTIES TO TONIGHT'S LATE NIGHT TALK SHOW_!” Mettaton all but shouted, and Sadie stared in horror as the film crew moved quickly to set up the show. The couch was suddenly up against the back wall beneath the window, extra chairs summoned from nowhere, and she, Papyrus, Frisk, Undyne and Alphys were all seated around Mettaton, who sat in a chair behind the table as if he were actually about to start a talk show.

 

“ _TONIGHT, IT'S ALL ABOUT ROMANCE! SO GET YOUR TISSUES AND HOLD THEM CLOSE, BECAUSE WE HAVE A REAL TEAR-JERKER FOR YOU! TWO STAR-CROSSED LOVERS, UNABLE TO BE TOGETHER, FORBIDDEN FROM THEIR LOVE BY ROYAL DECREE AND THE TIDES OF FATE! STAY TUNED FOR DRAMA, HERE ON THE MTT LATE NIGHT TALK SHOW ™_.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh boy...yep, I brought him in, so it's the pilot episode of another Mettaton show! Huzzah!


	9. Talk Shows and Scary Stories

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> MTT Late Night Talk Show (tm) with Mettaton, and then some spooky stories to round off the evening!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just want to thank everyone who left a review or a kudo! Thanks again so much for your continued support!

It was hard enough fitting four people onto Papyrus' couch, but since the filming crew had shoved all five of them onto the cushions, Frisk ended up sitting on Sadie's lap. Papyrus was squished next to her, practically spooning her, and Alphys and Undyne weren't faring much better.

 

“Hey, Mettaton, what gives?” Undyne shouted, trying to shift her weight so she wasn't brushing hips with Papyrus. “Couldn't you at least give us a little warning?”

 

“ _SORRY, FISHFACE, NO CAN DO! AFTER ALL, WHO DOESN'T LOVE BEING SURPRISED BY THE UNDERGROUND'S NUMBER ONE STAR?_ ”

 

“Hey!!!” The fish warrior practically launched herself off of the couch, easing the pressure on the other occupants. “I'm the Captain of the Royal Guard, damn it, and you will show me the proper respect!”

 

“ _WHOA, WHOA, CALM DOWN THERE, BEAUTIFUL! WHO SAID FISHFACE WAS AN INSULT? GRANTED, IT'S NOT NEARLY AS SEXY AS A RECTANGLE, BUT I'M SURE SOME OF US IN THIS ROOM COULD TELL A LOT ABOUT HOW GORGEOUS LADIES WITH FISH FACES ARE! ISN'T THAT RIGHT, DOCTOR?_ ”

 

“I'm not here,” a very small voice said at the end of the couch. Alphys had curled up into a little ball, her tail wrapped tightly around her. “This w-was such a bad idea...”

 

“DOCTOR, ARE YOU ALRIGHT?” Papyrus leaned over and gently touched the lizard's shoulder, and Alphys gave a shaky thumbs-up, though she didn't uncurl from her ball. The skeleton let her be.

 

“ _WELL, IT'S TIME FOR OUR INTRODUCTIONS! WE ALL KNOW THE CAPTAIN OF THE ROYAL GUARD, THE POWERFUL, DETERMINED AND INCREDIBLY SWEATY UNDYNE! EVERYONE GIVE HER A ROUND OF APPLAUSE!_ ”

 

One of the film crew members pressed a button on a machine in the corner, and an applause track sounded throughout the room. Papyrus gave his mentor a standing ovation, applauding her until she blushed, and his cheeks were reddish-orange by the time he sat back down.

 

“ _AND AT THE END OF THE COUCH, WE HAVE THE BRILLIANT DOCTOR ALPHYS! LET'S GIVE IT UP FOR ASGORE'S ROYAL SCIENTIST!_ ”

 

Another applause track, and Papyrus clapped enthusiastically along. Sadie cheered, and Frisk smiled at the ball at the end of the couch, who peeked out to see if the coast was clear.

 

“ _AND HERE IN THE MIDDLE, WE HAVE A SKELETON! TELL US YOUR NAME, BEAUTIFUL!_ ”

 

Papyrus flushed as the cameras turned towards him, but he grinned after a moment and promptly stood up, striking a heroic pose. “I AM THE GREAT PAPYRUS, AND I'M SO FLATTERED TO BE A PART OF YOUR TALK SHOW, METTATON!”

 

“ _A LOYAL FAN, EH? YOU'RE NOT THE ONLY ONE! HOW COULD ANYONE RESIST SUCH A SEXY RECTANGLE AS MYSELF?_ ”

 

Papyrus sat down, drawing his knees up to his chest, and the robot turned to Frisk. “ _AND WHO COULD FORGET THE BRAVE LITTLE HUMAN MAKING THE ENTIRE UNDERGROUND LOVE THEM? PUT YOUR HANDS TOGETHER FOR FRISK!_ ”

 

Undyne had apparently gotten over her irritation at Mettaton, because she ran over and lifted Frisk above her head, grinning in triumph. The child simply smiled and waved at the camera. Papyrus, Sadie and Alphys, however, were making as much noise as they possibly could, cheering and shouting for the little human child.

 

“ _OH, FRISK, I THINK YOU'VE FOUND YOURSELF SOME DEVOTED FANS! MY, MY, HOW FAR YOU'VE COME!_ ”

 

Undyne set Frisk back in Sadie's lap and sat coolly on the arm of the couch, and Mettaton cleared his robotic throat. “ _AND LAST, BUT CERTAINLY NOT LEAST, WE HAVE AN OLDER HUMAN! WHAT'S YOUR NAME, GORGEOUS?_ ”

 

Sadie clutched tight to Papyrus' scarf. “Hello, Mettaton, my name is Sadie.”

 

“ _HELLO, BEAUTIFUL! HOW DOES IT FEEL TO BE IN THE PRESENCE OF SUCH A SEXY, GORGEOUS ROBOT?_ ”

 

She drew in a deep breath. “Intimidating. But it's not so bad since I have my friends beside me.”

 

“ _DON'T BE INTIMIDATED, DARLING! BE DAZZLED! BE ENRAPTURED! AND DO TELL US MORE ABOUT THE RUMOR I HEARD FROM DOCTOR ALPHYS!_ ”

 

“What?”

 

A robotic chuckle escaped from his speakers, and the yellow and white ball that was Alphys curled up tighter, and sweated profusely. Undyne simply chuckled, and the kid looked smug.

 

“ _OH HO HO! FOLKS, I THINK ALPHYS HAS BEEN KEEPING A FEW SECRETS! YOU SEE, THERE'S A RUMOR GOING AROUND THE UNDERGROUND THAT YOU AND TALL, DARK AND SKELETAL THERE...ARE STAR-CROSSED LOVERS!_ ”

 

Sadie could almost hear crickets in the silence that followed.

 

Undyne burst out laughing, and Alphys groaned, trying to make herself smaller. Frisk giggled, looking up at Sadie with a gleeful expression, and Papyrus was so red he could probably pass for a tomato. The young woman sputtered, staring at Papyrus in a silent plea for help, but the skeleton was too busy trying to sink down into his homemade armor that she didn't think he would be much help in this.

 

“ _WELL, DARLING, GIVE US THE SCOOP! ARE YOU AND PAPYRUS IN LOVE?_ ”

 

“Uhhh...” She couldn't think of anything to say, and the skeleton beside her let out a small _meep_ of protest. “I wouldn't exactly say that. We are good friends, though! And of course I think the world of Papyrus!”

 

A chorus of _aaahhhs_ echoed in the room, and she frowned at Mettaton. “ _OH HO HO, BEAUTIES, I THINK WE'VE GOT A STRONG CASE OF DENIAL ON OUR HANDS! AND WE HAVEN'T EVEN COVERED HOW TRAGIC THIS STORY IS! AFTER ALL, IF THE HUMAN GOES TO MEET ASGORE, WHAT'S STOPPING HIM FROM TAKING HER SOUL? OR WILL SHE SACRIFICE FRISK TO STAY WITH HER LOVER?_ ”

 

“ASGORE WOULD NEVER TAKE HER SOUL!” Papyrus protested, his flush fading. “THE KING WOULD NEVER DO SUCH A THING!”

 

Everyone looked pointedly away, but Sadie spoke up. “Ok, first off, I would never sacrifice the kid for anything, much less just to save my own hide, but secondly, I don't know what Asgore will say. I'm hoping we can find some peaceful solution to all this. I won't know until I see him.”

 

“ _AND THEREIN LIES THE DRAMATIC TENSION! HOW WILL THESE TWO LOVERS FARE ON THEIR TUMULTOUS QUEST FOR FREEDOM? WILL ASGORE TAKE SADIE'S SOUL AND BREAK THIS BLOSSOMING RELATIONSHIP BEFORE IT HAS TIME TO FULLY FLOWER? WILL EITHER OF THEM CONFESS THEIR LOVE BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE? FIND OUT NEXT TIME, ON MTT LATE NIGHT TALK SHOW ™_.”

 

And just like that, the show was over, and Mettaton and the film crew were gone in less than five minutes, leaving the rest of them sitting dumbfounded on the couch.

 

“Well,” Sadie sighed. “That was certainly something.”

 

“I CAN'T BELIEVE I TALKED TO METTATON.” Papyrus' voice was quiet, awed, and his dark, round eyesockets were still focused on the door. “DREAMS REALLY DO COME TRUE!”

 

“Fwuh huh huh! Looks like you're going to see him again soon, Pap. He said there'd be a next time. Maybe you should ask out your girlfriend so he can have lots of material to work with.”

 

A red flush spread from the top of his skull to his neck, and he pointedly avoided eye contact with her. “UM...I...IT IS VERY LATE, AND IF EVERYONE IS STAYING OVER, I NEED TO GO GET MATTRESSES AND BLANKETS AND PILLOWS! I'LL BE RIGHT BACK!”

 

And with that, he rushed out the front door, leaving the rest of them standing awkwardly in his living room.

 

“So that's Mettaton, huh? He's really...interesting?”

 

Undyne shrugged. “Eh, he's a mechanical marvel, no doubt about it. My bestie doesn't make garbage robots! But...his personality...I'm not a big fan of the guy. Paps adores him, of course, but I never really understood the Mettaton craze myself.”

 

“I can kind of understand why so many people find him appealing,” she said, taking a seat back on the couch. “He had nice things to say about you and Alphys and Frisk.”

 

“T-That's true,” Alphys conceded. “But o-our plan completely f-failed!”

 

“What plan?”

 

Undyne snorted. “Can't you tell? Papyrus is totally in denial about being in love with you, and Sans says you're crushing hard on his bro.”

 

Sadie glanced at Frisk and Alphys beside her. “Like I told Mettaton, I think the world of Papyrus. But...with what comes next...I don't think we could be anything but friends.”

 

“Oh...right.” Undyne looked away, and Alphys looked pointedly at the ceiling. Frisk put their hand on her arm, giving her a stern look.

 

“What is it, Frisk? What's with that look?”

 

They simply raised an eyebrow and crossed their little arms across their chest. “Strong and silent, huh? What, you think getting into a relationship with someone and then walking straight to Asgore to give up your soul is a good idea?”

 

A banging at the door interrupted the conversation, and they could hear Papyrus through the door. “UNDYNE! UNDYNE, OPEN THE DOOR, I HAVE THE SLEEPOVER THINGS READY TO BE DEPLOYED!”

 

She rushed to the door and opened it, and in walked a large stack of three air mattresses (already blown up somehow), blankets and pillows, just as Papyrus had promised.

 

“I THINK SINCE THIS IS OUR FIRST SLEEPOVER, WE SHOULD ALL REST HERE IN THE LIVING ROOM! ONCE WE SET UP, MAYBE WE CAN TELL SOME SCARY STORIES!”

 

“Scary stories? Hell yeah!” Undyne grabbed the mattresses and tossed them across the room, letting them land where they would. One almost hit the TV (thankfully landing beside it), and once the chaos of the two of them setting up stopped, Sadie dragged all three air mattresses together to form a circle. She sat on one and Undyne pushed Papyrus beside her, causing him to flop over the bed.

 

“UNDYNE, PLEASE DON'T PUSH THE SKELETON!”

 

Sadie frowned at this. “Yeah, don't push the skeleton! We're going to be nice to him!” Frisk patted the top of his spine. “Are you ok, Papyrus?”

 

He pushed himself up and struck a cool pose, but she couldn't help but notice he was sweating again. “THE GREAT AND COOL PAPYRUS IS ALWAYS OK!”

 

Frisk gave him a thumbs-up, and before Sadie could think of a response, Undyne had claimed the mattress across from them (Alphys sat alone on the third mattress). “Alright, punks, who wants to go first?”

 

The kid took a seat next to Alphys, but the lizard didn't seem all to eager to start them off. Sadie couldn't think of anything right then and there (and it wasn't as if she was the biggest fan of scary stories anyway), but Papyrus had recovered from his apparent embarrassment and volunteered to go first.

 

“THERE ONCE LIVED A KING AND QUEEN IN A GRAND CASTLE, BUT ONE NIGHT THE QUEEN DIES. THE COOK, THE MAID, THE KING AND THE KNIGHT ALL GATHER IN THE THRONE ROOM TO DISCUSS THE MATTER, AND EACH ASKS THE OTHER WHERE THEY WERE. THE COOK SAYS HE WAS IN THE KITCHEN WHEN THE QUEEN WAS MURDERED. THE MAID SAYS SHE WAS CLEANING ALL THE CORNERS IN THE CASTLE. THE KING SAYS HE WAS ASLEEP, AND THE KNIGHT SAYS HE WAS ON WATCH UP ON THE ROOF. WHO KILLED THE QUEEN?”

 

Undyne scoffed, folding her arms across her chest. “Paps, that's not a scary story, that's a riddle!”

 

“Hey, I like riddles,” Sadie protested, and Papyrus brightened at that. Alphys frowned, mumbling the riddle to herself again, and Frisk looked deep in concentration. Undyne simply looked exasperated.

 

After a few minutes, the three of them admitted defeat, and Undyne sighed. “It's obviously the cook! They never specified how the queen died, and he's the only one to mention murder.”

 

“Oooh!” Alphys and Sadie chimed, and she suddenly felt rather stupid for not getting it earlier. “Yeah, that makes sense! Good riddle, Papyrus.”

 

“NYEH HEH! THANK YOU, HUMAN! THOUGH IT DOES NOT SURPRISE ME THAT UNDYNE GOT IT SO QUICKLY! AS CAPTAIN OF THE ROYAL GUARD, SHE HAS TO INVESTIGATE ANY SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITY AND REPORT IT TO THE KING! HER DEDUCTIVE SKILLS HAVE TO BE TOP-NOTCH!”

 

“It was...yeah, thanks, Papyrus,” Undyne said, her voice very quiet. Perhaps she didn't have to heart to criticize his riddle. “Anyway, it's my turn!”

 

Her expression got serious for a moment. “So...I live in Waterfall, and a certain flower grows all over the marshes there. It's called an Echo Flower. It repeats the last thing it heard, over and over again, and if you find your way into a field of them, they'll talk over each other until all you hear is creepy whispering. So, one day I'm patrolling around Waterfall, and I hear a voice from an Echo Flower...”

 

The look on her face was indescribable, torn between confusion and sadness and anger and fear. “It was...it sounded like my voice...and the flower said back to me...”

 

She swallowed thickly, and Sadie could hear rattling beside her; she turned to look at Papyrus, and he looked rather frightened at this story, or maybe it was just Undyne's expression that was freaking him out. He pressed his femur to her, and she didn't move; his touch helped calm her nerves.

 

“It said...'this is what I was afraid of...no, no! I can't die yet.' And it was _my_ voice, but almost...not my voice? As if someone were imitating my voice.”

 

A minute of complete silence passed before Alphys coughed and the moment was broken.

 

“Probably just some punk kid playing a trick on me,” the fish woman said, her expression still dark.

 

They all were quick to agree with her, and Alphys raised a trembling hand, volunteering to go next.

 

“Well, o-one day I was g-going home from W-Waterfall, and I t-took the ferry, and I w-was the only m-monster on the boat...just m-me and the Riverperson...and t-they're really q-quiet for a w-while. T-They didn't sing o-or give any advice...until we w-were almost to H-Hotland...and they turn a bit towards m-me, a-and I-I s-swear t-their v-voice g-got d-deeper...they s-said...' _Beware the man who speaks in hands_ '.”

 

Sadie felt a chill go down her spine, and Papyrus pressed closer to her. She turned to him, watching a bead of sweat roll down his forehead, and she carefully put her hand on his shoulder. He relaxed, but only a fraction.

 

“A-And for the rest of the d-day, I-I feel...I f-feel like someone's w-watching me...staring a-at me from the s-shadows...I thought I-I heard w-weird noises i-in the lab...doors c-creaking open...papers moving a-around on their o-own...and one p-paper falls t-to the floor...I pick it up, and...”

 

The silence could have been cut with a knife.

 

“I c-couldn't read it...it was covered in these weird s-symbols, like some silly...” Her wide eyes looked up to meet Papyrus' nervous gaze, and she gulped, her next words barely more than a whisper.

 

“L-Like it was a font I-I couldn't r-read...like it c-came from...”

 

The door slammed, and everyone jumped. Papyrus must have leapt three feet in the air, landing in a heap on Sadie's lap. His bones rattled as he trembled, but as soon as he saw who was at the door, he relaxed, quickly scurrying off of her with flushed cheekbones.

 

“wow,” Sans said, brushing snow off his shoulder. “didn't expect to scare everyone _out of their skin_.”

 

“Sans, you bonehead, don't do that!” Undyne shouted, smoothing down her fiery red hair.

 

“YES, AND THIS IS NO TIME FOR PUNS! WE'RE TELLING SCARY STORIES!” Papyrus seemed to have recovered from his previous fright, and was now enthusiastic for his brother to join them.

 

“heh, i'm not much of a fan of scary stories. but i could stay for one or _boo_.”

 

“SANS, THAT WAS HORRIBLE. YOU'RE OFFICIALLY UNINVITED FROM THE SCARY STORY CIRCLE!”

 

“ok, paps. maybe i'll just be a _ghost-writer_ instead.”

 

“SANS!”

 

The shorter skeleton shrugged and sat down on the couch. “Alright, punks, you're the only ones who haven't had a turn. Give us your best scary story!”

 

Sans and Papyrus looked at her expectantly, but she sighed. “I...I don't think you want to hear mine. They're all really sad.”

 

“really? i thought this was the scary story circle, not sob stories.”

 

She glared at him. “No, Sans, not sad in that sense. Sad in that they are very real, very gruesome case files about murders and missing people. At least, everything I remember from the newspapers. Would you like to hear stories like that?”

 

His eyelights shrunk, and he slumped back into the couch. “no, kid, i'd rather not.”

 

“Good, because I'm not going to tell those stories in front of Frisk. They hit too close to home.” Her voice cracked, and she felt a warm glove on her knee. She offered up a shaky smile to the skeleton beside her.

 

“DO NOT WORRY, HUMAN FRIEND! THIS IS NOT THE PLACE FOR THOSE TYPES OF TALES, ONLY SPOOKY REVELRY AND SCARY FUN!”

 

“I don't know what's so fun about hearing an Echo Flower predict your last words, Pap.”

 

He started sweating again. “WELL, MAYBE NOT LIKE THAT...MY STORY WAS ALL ABOUT SCARY FUN AT LEAST!”

 

“Yeah, your riddle was good,” Sadie assured him. “Do you have any others?”

 

He paused for a moment. “I CAN'T THINK OF ANY OTHERS AT THE MOMENT. FRISK, DO YOU HAVE A SPOOKY TALE YOU'D LIKE TO SHARE?”

 

The kid motioned something to Alphys, who immediately paled. “I-I...I don't k-know if I want t-to tell that story, F-Frisk...”

 

Their puppy dog eyes won her over, and Alphys reluctantly relayed a tale for Frisk.

 

“S-S-So Frisk w-walked through H-Hotland...and when t-they got out of the r-right-side elevator on the f-first floor...they...they m-met someone...this p-person told t-them...' _A-Alphys might w-work f-faster...but the o-old Royal S-Scientist...W.D. G-Gaster..._ ”

 

She looked up at Sans, and as Sadie followed her gaze to look at the shorter skeleton, his eyelights had gone out.

 

“ _'T-They say he vanished w-without a trace...one day he shattered across t-time and s-space...'_ And t-they laughed. _'H-How can I-I say s-so without fear? I-I'm h-holding a p-piece o-of h-him r-right h-here...'_ And then they d-disappeared. T-The monster d-disappeared.”

 

Again, the silence hung thick around them, and she saw Papyrus was sweating again.

 

“i think that's enough scary stories for one night. pap, you want a bedtime story?”

 

“WHAT? S-SANS...I'M TOO OLD FOR BEDTIME STORIES! THE GREAT PAPYRUS IS MOST CERTAINLY NOT AFRAID TO GO TO SLEEP RIGHT NOW!”

 

“Actually, could we do a bedtime story?” Sadie protested, seeing that Papyrus was putting up a front. “Please, Papyrus, I think I could use one. Something nice and not scary.”

 

“OH! WELL THEN, YES, WE SHALL HAVE A BEDTIME STORY TO SEND US OFF INTO LOVELY DREAMS! NO SPOOKY GHOSTS OR SCARY PREMINITIONS HERE! JUST PEEKABOO WITH FLUFFY BUNNY! DON'T WORRY, HUMAN FRIEND, I'LL PROTECT YOU WHILE YOU SLEEP, LIKE A TRUE ROYAL GUARDSMAN!”

 

He ran upstairs to get his favorite story, and Sadie settled into the air mattress. “So how are we all sleeping tonight?”

 

Sans had already claimed the couch, and Frisk curled up at the other end, their shoes poking at his slippered feet. He opened one eyesocket and poked them back, and they giggled, snuggling deep under the covers.

 

“well, it seems like me and the kiddo have the couch.”

 

“Yeah, but that still leaves four people and only three air mattresses. I'm not sharing with the human!”

 

Papyrus rushed back down the stairs. “MAYBE YOU COULD SHARE WITH DOCTOR ALPHYS, UNDYNE! IF YOU DON'T WANT TO, I HAVE A SLEEPING BAG IN MY CLOSET, AND I CAN JUST SLEEP ON THE FLOOR!”

 

“Papyrus, if anyone should take the floor, it's me! This is your house. You shouldn't have to take the floor. I'll sleep there, and you take the mattress. Then no one has to share.”

 

“NONSENSE, HUMAN, YOU WILL SLEEP ON THE MATTRESS! THE GREAT PAPYRUS IS NOT DAUNTED BY SLEEPING ON THE FLOOR.”

 

“You're sure?”

 

“ABSO-POSITIVELY-LUTELY!”

 

He left the book with Sans and rushed back up the stairs to retrieve a sleeping bag, and he positioned it right next to the bed she had claimed, so close that she could touch his chest if she reached out to him.

 

“is everyone ready for bed, then?”

 

A grumble of sleepy murmurs was his only answer, and Papyrus shuffled down into the sleeping bag, closing his bony eyelids.

 

“alright. ' _there once was a pink little bunny named fluffy bunny who lived at the top of a tall, green hill, under a big oak tree...'_ ”

 

The soothing sound of Sans' deep voice made her eyelids feel heavy, and she caught one last glimpse of Papyrus glancing her way with a big smile before she drifted off to sleep.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did you get spooked?
> 
> I didn't know about Flowey's prank with the Echo Flower until recently. Apparently in Waterfall, when you reach the room where the Echo Flowers wrap up the story of the siblings and stars, if you go to the end of the room and then go back to the second Echo Flower, you'll see Flowey, and hear that he's left a message for you regarding Toriel. It's a sad, kind of scary moment, and just goes to show how detailed Toby Fox made this game. All hail the great Toby!
> 
> I paraphrased Undyne's last words in a Neutral Route.
> 
> Also...I've seen great little animations and comic dubs about the 'beware the man who speaks in hands' message from the Riverperson, and I thought it would be a cool little spooky moment.
> 
> But not as spooky as meeting the Gaster Follower, which apparently Frisk did. And apparently they told Alphys about it later, or else Alphys somehow saw it through her cameras. Hey, if those cameras work all the way into the Core when phones don't, why not let her see some Gaster followers? It's all in spooky fun anyway.
> 
> Also, Gaster confirmed?


	10. Cooking Lesson

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's time for a fun cooking session with Undyne and Papyrus!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much to A+ Human for providing the basics of Undyne's dialogue for this chapter. I really appreciate you! And to everyone else who commented, thank you so much for your continued support of this story. I hope you enjoy it!

“HUMAN.”

 

Sadie groaned, trying to snuggle deeper into the covers as defense against the cold. “Whattimeizit?” she muttered, curling up into a tight ball.

 

Papyrus' voice may have sounded like a whisper to him, but it certainly sounded like normal volume to her. “IT IS FIVE O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING, HUMAN! TIME FOR OUR COOKING LESSON, REMEMBER? COME ON, GET UP!”

 

He ripped the covers off of her and folded them neatly, and she groaned again, rolling off the air mattress onto the floor.

 

“COME ON, HUMAN FRIEND, THIS IS NO TIME FOR ANTICS!” As more awareness came to her, she heard banging and shuffling from the kitchen, which at this point would wake the entire household. Papyrus stood over her, hands on his bony hips, dressed for the day in his homemade armor.

 

“Ok, ok, I'm up,” she sighed, forcing herself to her feet. “Did you sleep well last night?”

 

“OH YES, MY SLEEP WAS QUITE RESTORATIVE! AND YOU? DID YOU SLEEP WELL?”

 

“Like a rock,” she said with a yawn. “Where's the bathroom?”

 

He showed her the upstairs washroom, which thankfully had both a shower and a toilet (though she wasn't sure if the skeleton brothers ever used it). “Is it ok if I take a quick shower before we start? I can't remember the last time I took one before falling down here, and I must smell awful by now.”

 

“NONSENSE, YOU DO NOT SMELL BAD, HUMAN! YOU SIMPLY SMELL, WELL, HUMAN.”

 

“Can skeletons smell?” Before he could answer, she remembered the FIGHT and how he had commented on Toriel's pie. “Wait, yes you can. I remember. I still have one more piece of that pie if you'd like to try it.”

 

He nodded happily, handing her a towel. “ENJOY YOUR SHOWER, HUMAN! DO NOT TAKE TOO LONG, THOUGH. UNDYNE WANTS TO LEAVE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE!”

 

“Yeah, I understand. I won't be more than ten minutes. Thank you, Papyrus...for everything.”

 

A bright flush spread across his cheekbones, and he rubbed the back of his neck. “NYEH...YOU'RE WELCOME, HUMAN. I'LL LEAVE YOU TO YOUR SHOWER.”

 

She smiled weakly, waving him on, and he closed the door with a smart snap. She quickly used the bathroom and washed her hands, and started up the shower, letting the warm steam wash over her as she waited for it to warm up. At least they had hot showers down here. That was a plus.

 

Stripping quickly, she hopped into the shower and washed herself down, trying hard not to think about the journey ahead. Just the thought of what would probably happen later today, of how this may be her last day alive, made her sick to her stomach, so she shoved that thought away and focused on quiches. She hoped Papyrus had all the ingredients needed to make the crust and the filling, but either way, they would have to make do, as monsters had done for a thousand years now. If Toriel could make pie crust in the Ruins, where so few monsters lived, surely monsters in the Underground proper could find flour and butter and eggs and whatnot. How they acquired all these things, she had no idea. Especially eggs. Maybe, with some magical assistance, plants could grow down here, and maybe there was some cow monster somewhere who provided milk for the entire kingdom (strange, but hey, gotta get dairy from somewhere), but eggs...maybe they had taken a few chickens down here when they were banished, and now had a chicken farm? She couldn't exactly imagine a chicken monster willingly giving up potential offspring just to meet someone's grocery needs, so maybe it was just a regular chicken. Or this hypothetical chicken monster laid magical eggs that they didn't mind parting with. Or maybe the Underground's eggs didn't come from a chicken at all.

 

She shook her head of that thought and tried to remember a basic pie crust recipe. No matter how hard she concentrated on that, though, thoughts of Randy McGill and her own grave popped into her head, turning her stomach. She closed her eyes, trying hard to think about quiche. _A basic pie crust would call for flour, butter and water...Papyrus probably has all these things...spread the flour on a clean work surface and cut in cubed butter, then add just enough water to make it into a dough consistency...does Papyrus even own a pie tin? How many quiches should I make? Alphys, Undyne, Papyrus, Sans, me and the kid...six people, maybe two quiches would do...and one slice of pie to share between the kid and Papyrus...one more slice of pie before I walk through the Underground, to meet Asgore..._

 

She swallowed thickly and got out of the shower, trying hard to breathe deeply. It wouldn't do for any of the monsters or the kid downstairs to see her in a panic. _Just concentrate on quiche_ , she told herself firmly. _Concentrate on quiche. One step at a time._

 

Alphys was nursing a cup of coffee on the couch by the time she made it downstairs, and the kid sat beside them, watching a morning news show with Mettaton. From the little she heard as she passed by, nothing really newsworthy had happened besides her and Frisk's arrival in the Underground. But Mettaton, thank the heavens, wasn't talking about them. His newest movie was apparently going to debut the next day, and the morning news was all about that. Sadie sighed, and moved past Alphys, Frisk and a sleeping Sans to the kitchen, where her cooking partners awaited.

 

“HUMAN! NOW THAT YOU ARE CLEAN AND HAVE COMPLETED YOUR BATHROOM RITUALS, ARE YOU PREPARED TO TEACH US HOW TO MAKE A QUICHE?”  
  


“As ready as I'll ever be,” she said with a forced smile, suppressing a yawn. “Do you have a pie tin, Papyrus?”

 

“OH, YES I DO! LET ME FETCH THAT FOR YOU!”

 

He quickly brought down a pie tin from a cabinet and handed it to her, and upon inspecting it for dust, she deemed it acceptable for their cooking lesson. “Do you have two, by chance?”

 

“NO, ONLY ONE,” he said, sighing. “I COULD ONLY FIND ONE AT THE DUMP.”

 

She blanched at that. “Um...has it been washed since then?”

 

“OF COURSE! I WASHED IT IMMEDIATELY WHEN I GOT HOME! IT IS CLEAN, I ASSURE YOU!”

 

“Great. So...do you have flour, butter, eggs, milk and maybe some cheese?”

 

He rushed to the fridge and came up empty-handed, though he found flour in the cabinet. “OH DEAR...IT SEEMS I'M NOT AS PREPARED AS I THOUGHT! OH GREAT GOOGLY MOOGLY, I RUINED OUR COOKING LESSON! I'M SO SORRY, HUMAN!”

 

“Hey, Papyrus, it's ok! You didn't know this was going to happen, and I imagine you haven't had much time to go to the store...so how about we do that now, hm?”

 

“I'm going with you if you're going there, human,” Undyne growled, and Sadie agreed with a nod.

 

So with Papyrus' scarf secured tightly around her neck, and an extra jacket from his closet (she had woken up the previous evening without Sans' jacket, so she assumed he had taken it back while she slept), she, Undyne and Papyrus braved the cold to visit the bunny lady's Shop at the edge of town.

 

“Do you have butter and eggs and milk? And cheese?” Undyne demanded, her voice loud enough to wake the entirety of Snowdin.

 

The bunny lady frowned, crossing her arms across her chest. “Yes, I do, but there's no need to be so loud in my shop, Captain Undyne.”

 

The warrior hmffed and let Papyrus take care of the shopping, and it seemed the bunny lady was more agreeable to doing business with the skeleton anyway, as they left the store with everything they needed for quiche.

 

Once back in Papyrus' kitchen, she checked that the oven actually worked and had nothing in it, then set it to a moderate temperature.

 

“Why so low, human? Do you not cook your food with any enthusiasm? Sheesh, I might as well go back to sleep if this is how you're going to fix this.”

 

She stared blankly at the fish lady for a moment. “What are you talking about, Undyne?”

 

“Your oven settings! Turn it up all the way!”

 

“No!” she protested, looking around the kitchen for a mixing bowl. As if anticipating her needs, Papyrus had one out of the cabinet before she could even ask. “I saw you cook last night, and if that's the method you use for cooking spaghetti, then fine, that's your process, I won't argue. But this is baking. Cooking is an artform, but baking is a science. Eggs are a wonderful staple if handled correctly, but unless you want a charred disk of egg matter for breakfast, we're going to keep the oven like it is. Okay?”

 

Undyne huffed. “Where's the passion in _that?_ Food should be prepared with zeal and energy, human, not this science mumbo-jumbo you're talking about. Is that even cooking if you don't make it over open flame?”

 

“Where I come from, yes, this completely counts. So...let's start with the crust, ok?”

 

Papyrus came up beside her to watch her work, and Undyne reluctantly hung on her other side. She wiped down the counter first with a damp rag and set that aside (she would toss it in the sink, but it was still too high to reach), then measured out a few cups of flour. “Do you have a butter knife?” she asked Papyrus, and he produced one for her. She cut in the butter, trying to remember how much to use for crust. She figured she should start small and go from there, adding butter as needed until she happy with the result. Finally, she added water and carefully kneaded the mass into a dough disk.

 

“Well, that wasn't exciting at all! When you said you were going to have a cooking lesson, I thought you were going to teach us how to cook! This is more boring than that book Sans read last night!”

 

“HEY! FLUFFY BUNNY ISN'T BORING!”

 

Undyne just laughed, and Papyrus looked rather red. “I thought Fluffy Bunny was relaxing,” Sadie offered, taking Papyrus' side. The skeleton looked pleased, and Undyne simply scoffed.

 

“You two dorks...”

 

She ignored that statement and carefully spread out her dough into the pie tin. “Ok, filling next. Where's that bowl?”

 

Undyne slammed it in front of her, and she simply took a deep breath and reached for the eggs.

 

“Here, I can do this part. Move aside, human!”

 

“Undyne, wait a minute, we can't-”

 

But the warrior was already throwing eggs into the bowl at full force, shell and all, and Sadie looked on in horror as she whisked the mass together at top speed, splashing egg all over the counter.

 

“Undyne, stop!”

 

She turned to her with a gleeful snarl, handing over the bowl. “There! That should do it!”

 

“Undyne...as I was trying to tell you, eggshells are inedible! You have to crack the eggs without getting any shell in the mix, and I was going to show you how!”

 

The fish warrior balked, looking away with narrowed eyes. “Fine! Show us how, then!”

 

“You didn't leave me any eggs to demonstrate...but it's ok! We can strain out the eggshells. Papyrus, do you have a strainer? And another bowl?”

 

“COMING RIGHT UP, HUMAN!”

 

He handed her the tools, and she carefully strained the eggs, leaving a heap of shells behind. She checked the mixture one last time for any residual shell, then set the old bowl and the heap of shells aside. “If you have a compost heap, eggshells are great for the soil. They provide plants with calcium and all sorts of other nutrients.”

 

“I'LL GIVE THEM TO THE NEAREST GARDENER STRAIGHT AWAY!” he promised, and he rushed out the door with the strainer.

 

“Wait, Pap, I-” Undyne called.

 

But he was gone, and Sadie sighed, shaking her head. “I didn't mean right now...anyway, you're supposed to crack the egg on a flat surface and kind of open it with your thumbs. It's kind of hard to explain.”

 

The captain growled, but nodded stiffly, staring angrily at the egg mixture as if it had insulted her.

 

“Anyway...how far away is the nearest gardener?”

 

“They're in Waterfall,” Undyne said with a sigh. “It'll take him a while to be back, but not too long. He can run pretty fast when he wants to.”

 

She nodded absentmindedly, staring into the eggs. “Undyne...does Papyrus know what happens to the humans when they meet Asgore?”

 

The warrior slumped her shoulders. “I...if he does, he certainly doesn't act like it. Maybe he does know, deep down...he just doesn't want to believe, or won't believe, that Asgore would kill. But he had to, human. He had to for the sake of all monsters.”

 

“There has to be some other way,” she said, rubbing her temples. “Surely there's some other solution.”

 

“This is the only way! And if you can't accept that and face your fate, then maybe you're not as brave as I thought!”

 

“Wait, you think I'm brave?”

 

Undyne flushed red for a moment, then set her expression in a grim smile. “No other human has willingly given up before! They all run and hide, or try to fight. And that's brave of them to fight! But...as brave as it is...you know what you have to do and are going there without any trouble...you're giving yourself up to save the kid. That's braver than any other human that's fallen down here.”

 

Tears welled in her eyes, and she stared pointedly at the ceiling. “I don't feel brave. I feel like I might throw up.”

 

“If you do have to throw up, don't do it in that bowl.”

 

A few tears escaped her, but then laughter bubbled at her lips, and she leaned against the counter, wheezing at the ridiculousness of her statement. Undyne stared at her like she was crazy, then started chuckling, then outright laughing, until both of them were practically howling, leaning against the counter and clutching their sides.

 

“A-Are you t-two ok?”

 

“Yeah, Alphys,” Undyne wheezed, wiping gleeful tears from her glowing eye. “Just...sharing a joke.”

 

“Oh man...thanks, Undyne,” she said, taking deep breaths to calm herself. “I needed that.”

 

“Yeah...no problem. Paps should be back in a minute anyway.”

 

They had to wait another five minutes, but a very winded Papyrus strolled through the door, triumphant holding up the empty strainer. “THEY WERE A BIT DISGRUNTLED FOR BEING WOKEN UP, BUT MAYBE IF WE BRING THEM LOTS MORE NEXT TIME, THEY WON'T BE SO GRUMPY!”

 

“Did they take the eggshells? This early?”

 

Papyrus smiled. “NO, THEY SLAMMED THE DOOR IN MY FACE! BUT NEVER FEAR! I LEFT THE EGGSHELLS IN THEIR MAILBOX SO THEY CAN BRING THEM IN WHEN THEY WAKE UP!”

 

She and Undyne paused, staring at him for a moment, before bursting out into laughter again. “Oh my God, Pap, that's awesome!” the fish warrior said, bending over from laughing so hard.

 

Sadie leaned weakly against the counter, barely able to breath. “Can you imagine...eggshells in the mail! That's so great, Papyrus!”

 

Even Alphys chuckled weakly, but Papyrus looked flustered. “WHY ARE YOU ALL LAUGHING? WHERE WOULD YOU HAVE LEFT THE EGGSHELLS?”  
  


“Well, for one, I wouldn't have taken them over at five in the morning. Personally, I would have just left them on their front porch,” Undyne said with a chuckle, finally regaining her composure. “Come on, Pap, let's get back to this cooking lesson! We don't have all day!”

 

“RIGHT-O, UNDYNE! HUMAN, PLEASE PROCEED!”

 

She took another deep breath, watching Alphys disappear back into the living room. “Ok...so now we add some milk to add a little fluff, and the cheese.” She added her other ingredients and gently mixed them together. “And then we pour that into the crust and bake it for a while. I'd say maybe fifteen minutes to start.”

 

Soon, their quiche was baking away in the oven, and Undyne retreated to the living room to sit with Alphys and Frisk. She heard the two monsters talking about the news and Mettaton's show in general, but her mind slowly filtered out their conversation as she wiped down the countertops. That hard lump in her throat was back, and it felt like it was wriggling, trying to eat its way out of her mouth. She swallowed thickly, swallowing down her fear, and she kept on cleaning, silently working as Papyrus washed dishes.

 

“Hey...Papyrus?”

 

“YES, HUMAN?”

 

“Um...you know how you said you owed me a favor?”

 

He stepped down from his chair and faced her, his eyes glowing dark and eager. “YES, WHEN YOU SHOCKED YOURSELF ON MY MAZE! I SAID I'D MAKE IT UP TO YOU! HAVE YOU THOUGHT OF SUITABLE REPAYMENT?”

 

“Yeah...um, if it's not too much trouble...could you go with me to Asgore? Not all the way, of course, just...just escort me to the throne room, please? Walk with me?”  
  


His gaze softened. “OF COURSE I CAN GO WITH YOU! I WOULD LOVE TO MAKE THAT JOURNEY WITH MY FRIENDS! MAYBE WE CAN MEET ASGORE TOGETHER!”

 

“Maybe...I think he might want to talk to us humans alone first, then you all can decide what to do from there.”

 

“I WOULD BE HONORED TO ESCORT YOU TO THE CAPITAL, HUMAN! WE'LL EVEN TAKE THE LONG ROUTE SO YOU CAN SEE WATERFALL AND HOTLAND!”

 

“That sounds great!” she said, smiling at him. “Thank you so much, Papyrus! I...I'm so glad you said yes.” Before he saw her cry, she turned back to her cleaning and blinked back tears. Maybe she could make the long march to her death if Papyrus was there with her. Maybe she could do this after all. Or maybe Asgore could actually be reasoned with, and no one would have to die...

 

It was best not to get her hopes up.

 

The timer interrupted her thoughts, and she checked on the quiche, Papyrus looking over her shoulder.

 

“See, with eggs, they should look a little bit underdone in the pan before you take them out. You always have to take layover heat into account. Even as this cools on the counter, it's still cooking. But this isn't quite there yet. I'd give it maybe another ten minutes.”

 

“WOWIE! I'VE NEVER LET FOOD COOK AT THIS LOW HEAT BEFORE! UNDYNE AND I ALWAYS COOK SPAGHETTI ON THE HIGHEST HEAT WE CAN MUSTER, TO REPRESENT OUR PASSION! ALL FOOD NEEDS PASSION!”

 

“Well, I agree, but like I said...that's cooking. _This_ is baking.”

 

“I SEE...SO...BAKING DOESN'T NEED PASSION, BUT COOKING DOES? THAT DOESN'T MAKE MUCH SENSE!”

 

“Maybe baking needs a different kind of passion to work. A quieter, less intense kind of passion. Something more internal, maybe?”

 

“OH! I...I THINK I SEE? THIS IS VERY CONFUSING.”

 

She shrugged. “Well, this is just how I know how to do it.”

 

They fell into silence again, Papyrus washing dishes as she made sure all the residual egg had been cleaned from the counter and walls.

 

Once the quiche came out and cooled, Undyne and Alphys wandered back into the kitchen, perhaps drawn by the savory smell. “Wow, that actually smells really nice! Where'd you learn to cook like that?”

 

“Oh, just picked it up from cooking shows and stuff...I'm not much of a chef.”

 

Papyrus beamed. “DID METTATON'S SHOW TEACH YOU HOW TO DO IT? WOWIE, YOU'RE A REALLY FAST LEARNER, HUMAN!”

 

“I think she means she came down here knowing how to make a quiche, Papyrus.”

 

“OH...WELL, I HOPE WE WERE GOOD STUDENTS ANYWAY!” He looked rather red again, but she grinned, gently patting his shoulder.

 

“You were really fun to cook with, both of you. Thank you for letting me teach you.”

 

“YOU'RE VERY WELCOME, HUMAN! THANK YOU FOR TEACHING US!”

 

“Y-Yeah, and t-thanks for breakfast!”

 

She smiled down at Alphys, giving the lizard's shoulder a gentle squeeze. “Are you coming with us to Asgore?”

 

Alphys flushed and looked away. “T-That's R-Royal Guard business...I-I have work to get d-done anyway...”

 

“Well...if you change your mind, Papyrus wants to take the long route through the Underground, so if you want to meet us along the way...” Alphys seemed to understand her implication, and nodded enthusiastically.

 

“Y-Yeah, maybe!” So she could at least have a last goodbye with Alphys, to thank her for all the information she had provided.

 

“What?” Undyne shouted, turning to the skeleton. Papyrus flushed and rubbed the back of his neck. “Who said Papyrus could come?”

 

“UNDYNE, THE HUMAN ASKED ME TO COME! I OWED HER A FAVOR, SO I WILL HELP YOU ESCORT HER TO THE CAPITAL!”

 

“Owed her a _favor_?” Her golden eye flashed, and in an instant, Sadie was being dragged across the living room towards the door. “You and me are going to have a little chat outside, punk!”

 

“UNDYNE!” Papyrus called, but she slammed the door and pushed Sadie over into the cold snow.

 

“What the hell, human?” she growled, bending over her as she struggled to sit up. “If this is some sort of punk trick just to save your hide, you're done for! I won't wait for Asgore to decide anything, I'll rip your soul from your body right now!”

 

“Undyne, stop!”

 

The warrior paused, narrowing her eye. “You'd better have a good explanation for this. Why does Paps owe you a favor?”

 

“I tried to talk him out of it, but he insisted on making it up to me. I swear on my life and my soul, on everything good in this world that _I am not using Papyrus_. This isn't a trick or a ruse or some desperate attempt at survival.” She stood on her feet, shaking from nausea and the cold, but she drew herself up to her full height and looked Undyne straight in the eye. “I'm about ten seconds from curling up in a little ball and giving up on any scrap of hope I might have. I'm terrified beyond words right now. I don't know how the hell I'm going to make it all the way to the Capital without having a nervous breakdown, so I asked Papyrus to help me make my last walk. Consider it a last request. Please, Undyne.” She allowed her expression to soften, allowed her fear and sadness to show on her face. “Please allow me to find the tools necessary to make my walk towards death. I _need_ him. I don't have much time left, so there's not much point in trying to hide my feelings. I'm not sure I could make that walk without Papyrus at my side. Just...just to the throne room, Undyne. That's all I ask.” Tears started streaming down her cheeks. “Can't my last hours have a little bit of happiness? Please?”

 

Undyne looked uncomfortable and couldn't meet her gaze. “None of the other humans acted like this,” she whispered, rubbing her temples.

 

“Well, excuse me for living, but since it's apparently down to me or Frisk, and there's no other answer, my time is up. I'm older, so it's only fair that I be the one to die.”

 

She looked Sadie in the eye at last, a grim sort of resignation on her smooth, scaly features. She slowly reached up and clasped her shoulder, and with a stiff nod, the deal was struck.

 

“Thank you, Undyne...and thank you for letting me fulfill my promises to Papyrus. I appreciate that you allowed that.”

 

“Yeah...whatever, punk. Just...let's eat and hit the road, alright? We don't have all day.”

 

“I know,” she said with a sigh, and followed the warrior back into the house.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ending on a sad note. :( But the journey continues onward next chapter as we travel through Waterfall!


	11. Hopes and Dreams

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A journey through Waterfall; Undyne might be unsure of this plan. Papyrus is still a cinnamon roll.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, welcome back to the story! Thank you so SO much to everyone who took the time to review! I appreciate you all!

“WOWIE, HUMAN, THIS IS THE BEST QUICHE I'VE EVER TASTED!”

 

“bro, it's the only quiche you've tasted.”

 

“I KNOW, SANS! BUT THAT DOESN'T CHANGE THE FACT THAT IT'S THE BEST!”

 

Sadie blushed and took another bite of her quiche, smiling slightly to herself as she watched the entire household dig into her dish. Even Undyne ate her entire portion, though she stayed silent through the meal. Sans also ate his slice, adding an obscene amount of ketchup to it, but at least he ate the entire thing instead of it mysteriously disappearing like last night's spaghetti.

 

She refused to let Papyrus do the dishes when everyone had finished eating, though he hovered nervously around her waist the entire time (she stood on a chair to reach the sink), just as stubborn in standing guard over her as she was in completing this last chore.

 

But too soon, the dishes were done, the table scrubbed clean, and the kitchen nearly sparkled as Papyrus turned off the light and gestured for her to precede him to the door.

 

“AFTER YOU, MY FRIEND!” he said with a smile, and she nodded, turning to Sans.

 

“Well...um...”

 

“you'll see me again, kiddo. i'll be waiting for you in the judgment hall, right before you get to asgore, k?”

 

“Alright,” she sighed, and shoved her hand in her pocket. “Frisk, are you ready?”

 

The kid gave her a sad look, but nodded, a slight smile touching their lips. Sans had already fallen back asleep on the couch, and Papyrus left him to it, and led them all outside.

 

Undyne paced in front of the house, completely clad in armor, a spear in hand. She grinned slyly, shivering slightly in the cold, and Alphys shuddered as well. Frisk didn't seem affected by the cold, and of course she had Papyrus' scarf to keep her warm. Apparently the Underground got warmer as one got closer to the Capital, so she probably wouldn't need the scarf once they reached Asgore's castle.

 

“Come on, punks, we don't have all day!”

 

First, they walked Alphys to the ferry, where a cloaked figure waited for them at the dock.

 

“Um...o-one for the f-ferry, please.”

 

The Riverperson nodded, waving hello to the rest of them, and soon Alphys was gone down the river. They turned their sights eastward, marching back through Snowdin and deeper into the Underground.

 

“Finally!” Undyne shouted once they encountered the warm, wet caves of Waterfall. “About time we got out of the cold!”

 

“You live here?” Sadie said, her voice hushed as she gazed up at the crystal-studded ceiling. “It's so beautiful!”

 

“Not as beautiful as the night sky and sunlight. Not to mention fresh air.”

 

She frowned at the warrior, letting her gaze trail upward again to the ceiling. The air was rather stuffy down here, humid and close; it smelled of dust and rot and age. She breathed in deep, though, savoring each breath. How many more did she have before she ceased to exist? How many more times would her heart beat in her chest?

 

“Come on, punks, this may be the scenic tour, but like I said, Asgore's waiting. Let's get a move on, okay?”

 

She took a deep breath of the stale air, ignoring Frisk's worried look. Undyne led the way, nearly jogging as they made their way through the swampland. The water was still stunning, glowing in the darkness, casting its soft light over the dark cavern floor. Frisk smiled up at her, signing something, and Papyrus cocked his head.

 

“OH, YOU WANT TO MAKE A WISH, LITTLE HUMAN?”

 

“Hey! This isn't the Wishing Room!”

 

Sadie was surprised Undyne had even tolerated a wish from Frisk in the first place, but it seemed the fish lady wasn't against the child. This little kid had won her over, and from the looks of it, the two of them could become fast friends by the end of their journey.

 

Ten minutes later, after being hustled along the path by Undyne, she finally understood what the warrior had been talking about. The ceiling above them almost glowed, studded heavily with crystals. It didn't take much effort to imagine that they were outside of the mountain, out in the fresh night air, watching the stars drift overhead. The sign on the wall designated this as the Wishing Room, and everyone turned to Frisk.

 

“Alright, little punk, now you can make your wish!”

 

The kid pulled Sadie down, smiling sadly at her as she got down on her knees to face them.

 

_*You tell Sadie you wish everyone could live down here together, in peace._

 

The silence sounded loud in her ears, and she took in a deep breath, almost gasping as tears sprung unbidden in her eyes. A few rolled down her cheeks before she could get a hold of herself, and before she could even think of drawing Frisk into an embrace, Papyrus was there, holding them with a death grip.

 

“OH, MY DEAR HUMAN FRIENDS, OF COURSE YOU WILL STAY WITH US! I KNEW YOU'D COME AROUND TO THE IDEA EVENTUALLY! THERE'S NO NEED FOR YOU TO WORRY, DEAR HUMANS! WE'LL ALL LIVE DOWN HERE TOGETHER AND HAVE SLEEPOVERS AND TELL SCARY STORIES AND COOK TOGETHER, AS BEST FRIENDS! NO, MORE THAN FRIENDS! LIKE A FAMILY!”

 

The tears escaped her again, racing down her cheeks as she joined Papyrus in hugging Frisk, knowing that this brilliant dream of a life with Papyrus and his fellow monsters was just that. A dream. A fantasy. Undyne and Asgore had other plans for her, but at least Papyrus could keep Frisk as his friend, and live on the surface to boot.

 

She dared not look at Undyne, who was notably absent from the group hug. Papyrus finally withdrew, helping her to stand aright again, and he grabbed the end of his scarf to wipe away her tears.

 

“WOWIE! DEAREST HUMANS, I DID NOT KNOW YOU FOUND THIS IDEA SO TOUCHING! I MUST SAY, THE GREAT PAPYRUS IS MOVED! UNDYNE, ISN'T THIS GREAT?”

 

Finally, she caught sight of Undyne, who was staring at the ceiling with a distant expression.

 

“UNDYNE, DID YOU NOT HEAR FRISK'S WISH?”

 

“I heard them, Pap.” She sighed and gestured towards the door. “Come on, let's go meet the ferry monster.”

 

“Wait, that's all there is to Waterfall?” Sadie said, suddenly panicking. “I thought they'd be more.”

 

“OH NO, HUMAN FRIEND, THIS IS NOT THE RIVERPERSON! THIS IS A FERRY MONSTER! COME SEE!”

 

He took her hand in one of his own, and Frisk's in the other, dragging them eagerly into the next room as if he were a child leading them to an exciting carnival ride. They crossed the worn planks of the dock, Papyrus leading them to the edge, where there waited a pink blob monster, floating patiently in the water.

 

“Three Gold for the ferry,” he said, and Undyne stepped forward, dragging Sadie with her.

 

“Can you take two at a time?” The warrior swung her up into her arms, and she barely stopped a squeal from escaping her. She should have realized someone like Undyne would be this strong, but the motion was so sudden, and she dizzy for a moment.

 

“Sure thing! Hop on, please!”

 

Undyne stepped on the blob monster, and with a rush of water, they were stepping onto a completely different dock. The blob monster gave them both three Gold, and once she had thanked him, he popped back into the water, presumably to get Papyrus and Frisk.

 

“Listen punk,” Undyne growled, setting her down on the dock. “This is hard enough without you acting like a baby and giving Papyrus bad ideas.”

 

“I didn't wish for that, even though I'd prefer that over my death,” she replied, setting her expression before she began to cry again. “I know it's just a dream.”

 

“Yeah...the kid's messing up all our plans.”

 

Sadie shook her head. “I guess that's what Determination gets you? I don't know...according to Alphys, my soul trait is Integrity.”

 

“Paps told me. But that kid sometimes...they've got Integrity too, I think.”

 

Just then, Frisk and Papyrus popped onto the dock and received their payment, and the skeleton set Frisk down as if they were a priceless artifact.

 

“Alright, let's get moving,” Undyne said, leading the way into the next room. Papyrus rushed forward towards one of the glowing blue flowers she had noted throughout the area, and he leaned down and whispered something to it; he stood back proudly, gesturing for her to come near.

 

He put a bony finger to his teeth, grinning wildly, and he gently took her hand and touched it to the petals.

 

“ _THERE'S NO NEED TO FEAR WHEN THE GREAT PAPYRUS IS HERE!_ ”

 

She grinned, and Frisk leaned down to listen to the message too. Undyne sighed and pushed them all to the next room like an exasperated mother in a grocery store. Further on they walked, past more glowing water and cattails, and lily pads in bloom.

 

“I think if I were to live in the Underground, I'd live in Waterfall,” she said aloud to no one in particular. Papyrus looked a bit downtrodden, but Undyne cackled.

 

“Hell yeah! Waterfall rules! I don't see why you live in Snowdin, Pap. Waterfall is so much cooler!”

 

“WATERFALL DOESN'T HAVE SPIKES AND ICE, UNDYNE! OR FIRE! I'VE ALWAYS WANTED TO OPEN A STORE THAT SELLS FLAMES!”

 

“Hey, that's my kind of store! But I thought you wanted to get into the Royal Guard, Papyrus!”

 

The skeleton laughed. “I HAVE MORE THAN ONE DREAM, UNDYNE! I THINK MY FLAME STORE WOULD BE A BIG HIT! WHAT DO YOU THINK, HUMANS?”

 

Frisk gave him a thumbs-up, and Sadie grinned, nodding along. Down here, what with monster's eccentricities, she could see a flame store doing well in the right environment. “I think you'd have to open that flame store in Snowdin, Papyrus. It'd be the best place for it.”

 

“YES, I CAN SEE IT NOW! NO LONGER WILL PEOPLE HAVE TO GATHER IN GRILLBY'S AND SUFFER THE HORRORS OF GREASE! THEY WILL ALL FLOCK TO MY STORE AND BUY FLAMES AT REASONABLE PRICES, FOR THE GREAT PAPYRUS WOULD BE AN HONEST SHOPKEEPER! NOT THAT I WANT TO PUT GRILLBY OUT OF BUSINESS, BUT THE WARMEST PUBLIC PLACE IN SNOWDIN IS THAT GREASESLICK OF A BAR, AND I WANT THE GOOD PEOPLE OF SNOWDIN TO HAVE OPTIONS!”

 

Frisk gave him two thumbs-up, and Undyne cheered. “Hell yeah, Papyrus! We should open a shop together one day and sell flames and weapons!”

 

“THAT SOUNDS GREAT, UNDYNE! ONE DAY, WE'LL ALL REACH THE SURFACE AND OPEN OUR FLAMES-AND-SWORDS SHOP, AND EVERYONE WILL FLOCK TO US AS PARAGONS OF COOLNESS AND HONESTY! EVERYONE WILL ASK TO BE OUR FRIENDS!”

 

Everyone was quiet at that, Undyne's smile soft and ever-so-slightly strained, Frisk's thumbs-up even higher than before, and Sadie felt like she might cry again.

 

“Everyone would,” she agreed. “I know they would, once they realize how wonderful the Great Papyrus truly is.”

 

He flushed bright red at this, looking away for a moment, and she stared at her shoes. Undyne chuckled under her breath, and the kid nudged her thighs with a smug little grin. She sighed and followed Undyne northward into the next room.

 

A walkway of stone stretched over a large pool of water, and she saw something move out of the corner of her eye, making her jump. To her horror, a pale white tentacle rose slowly from the water, joined by a second, and a third, and a fourth. The owner of these appendages slowly revealed himself, and though she had instinctively tensed and shoved Frisk behind her, she eased as she saw the monster looked bright and happy, pleased to have company.

 

“Hi, I'm Onionsan! You're passing through Waterfall, huh? You love it, huh?”

 

“Yes,” she said, giving him a hearty wave. “It's absolutely beautiful. How's it going over there, Onionsan?”

 

“Oh, it's great, ya hear? I'm going to start up a band, ya hear? Keep an eye out for us, huh?”

 

“WOWIE! WHAT A COOL DREAM! I WISH I COULD BE IN A BAND!”

 

“Papyrus, you don't even sing!”

 

“Yes he does,” Sadie interjected. “And he has a really good voice too.”

 

Undyne frowned. “How do you know this?”

 

“How do you think I met him?” She smiled at her skeleton friend, who was blushing again. “I heard him singing, and stopped to listen, and he spotted me. He's got the nicest tenor voice in the Underground.”

 

“HUMAN...”

 

“What? I'm serious, Papyrus! You totally distracted me with your voice! And I had hoped to hear you sing again sometime.”

 

“You like music too, huh? You love it, huh?”

 

“OF COURSE I LOVE IT!” Papyrus exclaimed, beaming up at Onionsan. “AND I WOULD BE HAPPY TO COME TO YOUR CONCERT WHEN YOU FORM YOUR BAND! LET ME KNOW WHEN THE GROUP GETS TOGETHER!”

 

“I will, ya hear? Enjoy Waterfall, ya hear? Have a good time!”

 

“WE WILL, FRIEND!”

 

And with a bright grin, Papyrus led them out of the room this time as Onionsan sunk back into the water. Undyne was still laughing (and the skeleton failed to see what was so funny), but Frisk held his hand, smiling up at him with a sincere smile. They signed something to him, and he brightened.

 

“YOU WANT TO HEAR ME SING TOO, LITTLE HUMAN? WELL...HOW COULD I REFUSE SUCH A REQUEST FROM MY DEAREST, YOUNGEST FRIEND?”

 

Frisk signed again, and he brightened further. “YES, SADIE WILL SING TOO!”

 

She stared at the little kid, who put on the sweetest face they could muster. She sighed, nodding in compliance, and Frisk took her head and led them all to a northern room, pointing to a piano sitting in the corner.

 

“You want me to play?”

 

They nodded.

 

“How do you know that I even know how?”

 

“Oh, please, punk,” Undyne growled, and she sat at the piano and began to play. The room was filled with a pounding, energetic melody, and she, Frisk and Papyrus quickly gathered around the instrument to hear her play.

 

“See, guys? This is how it's done!” She ended the song with a flourish, and her small audience burst into applause.

 

“UNDYNE, THAT WAS SO AMAZING! YOU'RE SO TALENTED!”

 

She laughed, bowing gracefully as she rose from the piano bench. “Ah, thanks, Papyrus! I guess it's your turn now.”

 

“REALLY? OH, UM, HUH....” He started to sweat a little, but at their continued encouragement, he cleared his throat and stood up tall. His tune was softer, less peppy than the Mettaton song she had first heard him sing. This song almost sounded folk-ish, as if it had been passed down for generations since the monsters were first forced down here.

 

“ _I KNOW TIMES ARE BLEAK NOW, AND IT LOOKS LIKE HOPE IS GONE/ BUT SOON WE'LL ALL BE FREE AND WE WILL FIND OUR HOME AS ONE/ THE TIMES, THEY CHANGE SO QUICKLY, AND THE YEARS ARE FLYING BY/ BUT THERE'S NO TIME FOR SORROW, FOR OUR FREEDOM'S DRAWING NIGH!”_

 

His voice stopped shaking, and Sadie's eyes filled with tears once more. Undyne's eyes were wide in surprise (she supposed he had never sung in front of her before), and Frisk's eyes slowly closed, a serene expression on their young face.

 

“ _I KNOW TIMES ARE ROUGH NOW, AND OUR PRISON DOORS ARE BARRED/ BUT SOON WE'LL FLY AWAY FROM HERE, UNSCATHED, UNBENT, UNMARRED/ THE TIMES, THEY CHANGE SO QUICKLY, AND WE'LL FLEE AWAY FROM NIGHT/ NO BARRIER UNBROKEN, FOR OUR DREAMS ARE TAKING FLIGHT!”_

 

Papyrus' eyesockets found her watery eyes, and with cheeks stained with tears, she felt her heart rise with deep affection. It was if he knew exactly what troubled her, and sought to soothe her soul with music. While it did not heal the hurt plaguing her, it assuaged her fear somewhat, and made her feel stronger.

 

“ _I KNOW TIMES ARE DARK NOW, BUT OUR CHAINS WILL BREAK AT DAWN/ OUR HOPES UNITE ALL MONSTERS, AND ONE DAY WE'LL SEE THE SUN/ THE TIMES, THEY'RE ROLLING ONWARD, TOWARDS JOY AND LIBERTY/ OUR DREAMS WILL TAKE US HOME AGAIN, AT LAST WE'LL ALL BE FREE!”_

 

His last note resonated around the chamber for a moment after he stopped, and it took a good thirty seconds for anyone to say anything.

 

“Wow,” Undyne whispered. “It's been ages since I've heard that one, but...you do it justice, Papyrus. Asgore would be proud.”

 

“YOU REALLY THINK SO?” he breathed, his voice sounding choked. “OH, WOWIE, UNDYNE...I NEVER THOUGHT...I...I'M GLAD YOU ENJOYED THE MUSIC! TRULY THE GREAT PAPYRUS IS MULTITALENTED, BUT SO ARE ALL MY FRIENDS! SADIE, IT'S YOUR TURN!”

 

For a moment, she considered refusing, but Frisk's puppy dog eyes and Papyrus' eager look won her over. “Ok...let me think...”

 

She cast around in her head for something appropriate, and an old folk tune from the region came to mind. Her alto voice came out shaky and soft, but grew with confidence with every line. She was dying with every breath, so what time did she have for shame?

 

“ _If I could have one wish tonight, I'd wish for you to kiss me/ And hold me close in your embrace, and tell me that you'd miss me._ ”

 

She had been staring at the piano, but her gaze was slowly drawn back to the trio watching her, to a certain pair of dark eyesockets.

 

“ _If I could have one dream come true, I'd dream a wedding merry/ A life of love and tenderness, with you always beside me.”_

 

She tried not to lose her nerve as Papyrus' gaze became soft, almost hopeful. She tried not to pay attention to Undyne and Frisk giving each other that knowing look. She focused her attention on the lyrics, and on not faltering on the tune.

 

“ _If I could have you for my own, I'd give you joy unending/ Each song I sing would be for you, our love to heaven ascending. If you would say you love me too, I'd follow you wherever/ I'd give my life, my love, my soul, and be with you forever._ ”

 

She swore his eyesockets shone as she ended the tune, and for one moment in this terrible race with death, she had felt alive, authentic and completely honest. But that feeling paled in comparison to seeing his genuine smile, and hearing the applause that he led, to him beaming at her as if her song had reached Asgore's castle and broken the barrier. She bowed once, shaking as she tried not to cry again, wishing with all her heart that her song, that Frisk's wish might come true.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anyone else need a tissue?


	12. Gerson

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The musical puzzle is attempted; the group meets with Gerson and continues through Waterfall.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks again to everyone who reviewed! You're all amazing!
> 
> Also, thank you so much to kairi196 for drawing fanart of Healingtale and Companiontale meeting:
> 
> http://rapunzell-corona.tumblr.com/post/162810891235/healingtale-meets-companiontale-part-1-left

Everyone was quiet as they exited the piano room and continued east. Undyne looked pensive, Papyrus hopeful and content, and Frisk was practically beaming, thanking her and Papyrus over and over again for singing. Both of them smiled and nodded, too caught up in their own thoughts to say anything.

 

She spotted a beam of light up ahead, cutting through the darkness to shine on a lonesome statue. The creature depicted had horns, and rain was falling on its head, dripping down from the hole in the ceiling, presumably the same hole letting in light. It was a mournful scene, contemplative and sad, and Frisk paused to stare at it.

 

“Its feet seems dry,” Undyne muttered, and Frisk nodded, their eyes sad as the group looked over the statue.

 

“HM,” Papyrus said, staring intently at the stone. “IT KIND OF REMINDS ME OF ASGORE? DOESN'T IT LOOK LIKE HIS MAJESTY, UNDYNE?”

 

“Yeah,” she sighed, “kind of. I've heard a lot of different stories about this statue. It's been here for as long as I can remember.”

 

Frisk's gaze was more intent than Papyrus', looking over ever inch of the statue, as if they were trying to remember something. But then they shook their head and turned away, and the group moved on.

 

A basket of umbrellas sat in the next room, and Frisk brightened, grabbing one and taking off towards the previous room. Undyne ran after them, and Sadie and Papyrus followed, jogging lightly back to the statue, where Frisk was now standing, a smile on their young face.

 

They opened the umbrella and set it reverently on the statue, shielding it from the rain, and then stepped back to admire their handiwork.

 

“Frisk,” Undyne breathed, grinning from ear to ear. She then fell silent, and just as she and Papyrus caught up to them, they heard a quiet tinkling sound, like a music box, coming from the statue.

 

They stood in silence, listening to the song, and Papyrus' eyesockets were dark and glossy. “I...DOES ANYONE ELSE FEEL LIKE THEY SHOULD KNOW THIS TUNE? LIKE SOMEONE SANG IT TO YOU ONCE WHEN YOU WERE REALLY YOUNG, BUT YOU'VE FORGOTTEN IT? I FEEL LIKE I SHOULD KNOW THIS...”

 

“Yeah,” Sadie whispered. “I can see that...I kind of feel like...like this is something out of my memories, or out of a dream, kind of...”

 

“I know, right?” Undyne said, nodding along to the lullaby. “I remember hearing this song when I was younger. I remember this statue, and that's why...well...maybe you'll find out, Frisk.”

 

The child looked at her with a sly grin, then backtracked even further to the piano room. The three followed them, Undyne practically shaking, Sadie and Papyrus giving each other a confused look. Frisk pointed to the sign on the wall once they entered the room, then went to the piano and played the first bit of the lullaby they had listened to. Suddenly a door opened on the northern wall, and Undyne clapped her hands, practically roaring with victory.

 

“Frisk, you solved it! You solved my puzzle!”

 

The kid beamed at Undyne, and Papyrus looked shocked.

 

“THAT WAS A _PUZZLE_? FRISK, WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME? I COULD HAVE HELPED YOU!” Sadie patted his shoulder in consolation, but the skeleton still looked downtrodden.

 

Frisk, however, seemed to know just what to do. They gently took Papyrus' gloved hand and led them all into the northern room, and Undyne chuckled.

 

“I found this artifact a while back. I'm not entirely sure what it does, but it's the stuff of legend! And now that Frisk has proven themselves worthy of finding it, it only stands to reason that they should be the one to have it! Go on, punk! Get the artifact!”

 

The kid giggled and stepped up to the pedestal, pausing a moment at the glowing red orb. They reached out to take it, but then retracted their hand, somehow sensing that something was wrong. And from their pocket sprung a small, white dog, as if from nowhere, and before anyone could react or even blink, the dog had leapt onto the artifact, and then was gone, taking the orb with it.

 

“WHAT?” Undyne shouted. “ALL THAT WAITING JUST FOR SOME DUMB DOG TO TAKE MY ARTIFACT? IF I EVER FIND THAT PUP AGAIN, I'M GOING TO _MURDER IT!_ ”

 

“I THOUGHT THAT WAS VERY RUDE!” Papyrus agreed; she had never seen him so peeved. “FIRST MY SPECIAL ATTACK, THEN THE ARTIFACT? WHEN WILL WE BE FREE OF THAT ANNOYING DOG?”

 

“Wait, you've seen that dog before?”

 

“YES, MANY TIMES! HE ALWAYS FOILS MY PLANS!”

 

“Ugh, forget it, Papyrus. Let's just move on.”

 

Frisk glanced sadly at the empty pedestal, but the group moved on, slightly heartened again when they passed the statue. Something about that song filled her with hope, and she could see the anger dissipating on Undyne's face. Papyrus, too, looked calmer, and Frisk seemed unfazed now that the ordeal was over.

 

The warrior led them down a side path onto wooden skyways, stretching over dark water; their group had fallen silent again. The only sound echoing through the cavern was the sound of footfalls on wooden planks.

 

“Hey, kid,” Undyne said finally, breaking the silence. “How do you feel about Crab Apples and Sea Tea for lunch, huh?”

 

They brightened, giving her a big thumbs-up, and Undyne quickened her pace.

 

“SO WE'RE GOING TO GERSON'S FOR LUNCH? I THOUGHT WE COULD HAVE SOME OF MY SPAGHETTI!”

 

“Come on, Papyrus, what better place to eat lunch than at Gerson's shop? Besides, your girlfriend hasn't met him yet. You wanted to show her the Underground, right?”

 

With a sigh, Papyrus conceded to her point, and soon they were in what looked like a residential area of Waterfall. She saw houses looming through the gloom to the north and water to the south, but they passed those in favor of the eastern path. She could hear the river and saw its banks to the south, and in the northern room was a small shop. An ancient tortoise in archaeologist's gear greeted them as they came through the door, his good eye peering at them intently.

 

“Well, if it isn't Undyne! Howdy doo, you little whippersnapper! Did you finally catch yourself a human?”

 

“Gerson!” the warrior shouted, and they embraced like old friends. “You remember Papyrus, right?”

 

“Eh? Yeah, I remember you! Undyne talks about you all the time!”

 

“WOWIE! I DIDN'T KNOW I WAS SO POPULAR!”

 

The tortoise chuckled, stroking his scraggly beard. “Sonny, when it comes to Ms. Undyne here, I'd say you're one of a handful of popular folks. But hold on now, I see another friend! Hey there, kiddo! Did those items I sold come in handy?”

 

Frisk nodded, holding up a few coins. “Oh, you came back for more, huh? Wa ha ha! So, what'll it be, kiddo?”

 

“Actually, Gerson, we've all come for lunch. Four Crab Apples and four Sea Teas, please!”

 

“Alrighty then! But first, who's our new friend?”

 

Sadie smiled, charmed by this old monster's mood and antics. She offered over a hand, and Gerson stared at her so intently she thought he was looking through her. “I'm Sadie, Mr. Gerson. A pleasure to meet you.”

 

“Well, it's been a long time since I've seen an older human! I heard there was a man that came through here years ago, but I never met him. I had almost forgotten what humans looked like all grown up!”

 

She shrugged and put her arms behind her back, staring at the wall behind him as he looked her over. “Ah, brings back the memories. Seems like the Surface has changed quite a bit, huh?”

 

“Gerson fought in the War of Humans and Monsters!” Undyne said, her voice trembling with excitement. “It was so cool!”

 

“It's easy to study history when you've lived through so much of it yourself! Wa ha ha! Anythin' you'd like to know? I know that look, and that look says 'Mr. Gerson, please tell me a story!' Eh?”

 

Frisk handed over some coinage, and Sadie followed suit, handing over the last of her Gold for her Sea Tea and Crab Apple, and once Undyne and Papyrus had theirs, they all sat on the floor of the shop while Gerson pulled up a chair and sat down, his movements slow with age.

 

“Well, have you heard the tale of the War of Humans and Monsters?”

 

Frisk nodded, as did Undyne and Papyrus, but Sadie shook her head vehemently, eager to hear more about what had started all this mess. “I only know a little bit from what a Froggit told me,” she said, “but you were there?”

 

“Yessiree, I was there!” His expression darkened for a moment. “Yes, I was there...I still remember the smell of the ocean, and the sight of wildflowers blooming under the sun...I've forgotten a lot of things over the years, but I'll never forget that. I'll never forget my home by the sea. I was a member of the Royal Guard way back when, you see, and I lived only a few miles from the King and Queen's home, so I could be near their majesties in case they needed me. They would invite me to tea nearly every day, and dinner every week...life was so simple back then. Our kingdom was small, but it thrived, and we had everything we could ever need, or hope for.”

 

All four of them were enraptured by his tale, and no one said a word, waiting on baited breath as they listened to living history.

 

“Of course, it didn't last. The humans, for whatever reason, feared our power, and maybe it was more than just fear-mongering, now that I think about it...maybe it was our prosperity, and our different natures that drove that wedge between us. I remember the day the war started...I had just finished watering my garden when the war horns started blowing...that call to battle...it chilled my soul to hear it, but I threw on my armor and went to serve my king.”

 

Gerson sighed, shaking his ancient head, and Sadie was almost afraid to breathe. “We had magic, but they had the element of surprise, and determination. And they had the mages.”

 

“Mages?” Sadie breathed, her eyes wide. “You're telling me there were humans who could wield magic?”

 

“Yes, there were quite a few back in the day. We always maintained a good relationship with most of them, and a few of them protested the war. Most, however, sided with their own kind, and we were driven underground. Beaten, defenseless, fearful of more attacks...people complain about today's crises, but at least no one's starving these days. Now we at least have enough food and resources to get by. Back then, in those first few years in the Underground...well, kids like you can't imagine what kind of life that was, how dark this place was...how little hope we had...”

 

He sighed again, his visage worn, the scars on his face more prominent now that he had revealed the hardships of the past to them. “King Fluffybuns has done well in keeping everyone's moral up. There are worse things in life than overcrowding or a little dreariness...we all have to remember, things could be worse.”

 

Undyne huffed and looked at the ceiling, but Frisk nodded sagely as they polished off their Crab Apple. Papyrus and Sadie followed suit, and soon they were thanking the tortoise and leaving his shop, continuing on their way through Waterfall.

 

Sadie stared up at the ceiling as they walked on into a darker room, absentmindedly making constellations in the stationery crystals above their heads. Undyne led the group, her stride unfaltering as they traversed the glowing path. Everyone was quiet, even Papyrus, each lost in their own thoughts, perhaps contemplating life before the modern-day Underground.

 

“I probably should have gotten Alphys some lunch,” Undyne groused as they continued on into the next room, this one with darkening lanterns. “Pap, can you go back and get another Crab Apple and Sea Tea from Gerson? I hate that all she eats are those gross instant noodles.”

 

“RIGHT-O, UNDYNE! STAY RIGHT HERE, HUMAN FRIENDS, I WILL RETURN!”

 

The skeleton took the coins from Undyne and jogged down the path, quickly becoming shrouded by the darkness, the bright white of his bones fading into the gloom. Frisk sat down, leaning against the cavern wall.

 

“So, human...nothing to say?” the fish warrior said, a pained smile on her face. Sadie stared up at her, a feeling of emptiness creeping over her skin.

 

“What is there to say?” she whispered, and Undyne frowned.

 

“Well, you could at least say you're sorry!” Her voice came out as a growl, and Frisk quickly stood, putting their little hands on their hips. “Humans got us into this mess, even though we didn't do anything! So now a human is going to get us out.”

 

She stared silently at the ceiling, marking pathway after pathway in her head, trying hard not to think of the stars she would never see again. “Undyne?”

 

“What, human?”

 

Sadie sighed. “What happens after the barrier is broken?”

 

“We go to the surface, punk! The kid goes with us, and...well...Asgore had promised that we would wage war on humanity and give them back the suffering we've endured for a thousand years! But now...”

 

She waited for Undyne to finish that thought, but eventually the warrior just shrugged. “Some humans are okay, I guess! I don't know what will happen. That's up to Asgore, so whatever he decides, I'll stand behind him! He's our king, and he knows best!”

 

The young woman shook her head; she couldn't fight the tears that welled in her eyes as Gerson's words rung in her ears. _Kids like you can't imagine what kind of life that was..._ She prayed Papyrus would be slow in getting back, but, knowing him, he would return quickly so they could proceed. She took in a deep, shaky breath, quickly wiping her tears as she heard huffing from behind her.

 

The skeleton slowed to a halt in front of them, quickly handing Undyne the little bag Gerson had given him. “HERE YOU ARE, UNDYNE! ONE LUNCH FOR THE GREAT DR. ALPHYS! WE'RE ALMOST THROUGH WATERFALL, HUMAN, AND NEXT IS HOTLAND! YOU'LL LOVE IT THERE, BECAUSE THERE ARE FLAMES AND...HUMAN...? WHY ARE YOU CRYING?”

 

“Crying?” she croaked, wiping her eyes again. “I'm not crying. I...” She gave up and sighed, wiping the rest of her tears away. “Come on, what were you saying about Hotland? There are flames and what now?”

 

Papyrus, however, didn't take the bait. “UNDYNE...COULD YOU WAIT FOR US IN THE NEXT ROOM?”  
  


“What? Hell no, Papyrus, I have to watch the human!”

 

“THE HUMAN ISN'T GOING ANYWHERE!” he insisted, and Undyne sighed and walked through the gloom, and Frisk followed, perhaps understanding that Papyrus wanted to be alone with her. She watched them go, taking very deep breaths in an effort to keep back tears.

 

He pulled her down to the floor so they could sit together, and she leaned wearily against the wall.

 

“NOW, HUMAN, YOU WILL TELL ME WHAT HAS MADE YOU SO UPSET! ARE YOU SCARED OF MEETING ASGORE?”  
  


She swallowed thickly, then nodded, choosing not to speak.

 

“WHY ARE YOU FRIGHTENED? THE KING IS VERY NICE, HE WON'T HURT YOU!”

 

She opened her mouth, willing the words to come forth, but nothing but a groan escaped her. Tears followed, coursing down her cheeks, and she put her head in her hands.

 

“Papyrus,” she whispered. “Do...do you know how we're going to get out of here? How can we get out?”

 

“HUMAN...YOU WANT TO LEAVE ALREADY?”  
  


“No, that's not what I meant...I meant...how are monsters going to break that barrier? How are we, the two humans and all of the monsters, going to leave here?”

 

Papyrus had no answer. He stared into the darkness with her for a while, and after a little bit, she felt bony fingers on her back, stroking softly down her spine.

 

“HUMAN...I DON'T PRETEND TO KNOW EXACTLY HOW KING ASGORE PLANS TO GET US OUT OF HERE...BUT I KNOW THAT HE IS A GOOD PERSON! HE'S ALWAYS SO HAPPY TO SEE HIS SUBJECTS, TO HELP THEM, TO MAKE THEIR DAY A LITTLE BETTER! EVERYBODY LOVES HIM, AND I'M SURE YOU'LL LIKE HIM TOO! AND HE'LL LIKE YOU, BECAUSE YOU ARE A GOOD PERSON, AND YOU WANT TO HELP US OUT OF THIS DEBACLE!”

 

She grinned, her eyes still watering, but she wrapped her arm around him and rubbed his shoulder. “I...I just hope I do the right thing, you know? Starting a war with humanity...you may have had a good chance a thousand years ago, but now? I don't...I won't see that barrier go down just for all of you to get hurt, Papyrus...please...if no one else will listen, don't let them go to war with my people. They'll kill you all, and you'll have wasted a thousand years of work for nothing.”  
  


“HUMAN, WHAT ARE YOU SAYING?”

 

She turned to face him, tears streaming down her cheeks as she dropped all pretenses, if only for a moment.

 

“Papyrus, listen to me...if you go down there trying to seek revenge on humanity for what we did, you won't make it very far. Sure, the village at the bottom of the mountain isn't very well guarded. Its police force is maybe ten strong, so you'd have a fighting chance against them. But then you have to think about the everyday citizen, and the myths we remember about this mountain. How people have gone missing on Mt. Ebott...you might even have a fighting chance against the town. But if you continue along this journey, and keep on the warpath, we outnumber you. How many monsters are in the Underground?”

 

He furrowed his brow. “UM...I BELIEVE THE CURRENT CENSUS WAS SOMEWHERE AROUND 20,000...”

 

“There are currently seven billion humans living on planet Earth, Papyrus. You do not stand a chance if you choose to FIGHT. Please, Papyrus...please...for the sake of humans and monsters...you must convince the King not to go to war with my people. To do so would mark the end of your race, ok? Believe me, humans are not to be pushed. We are extremely deadly when threatened, and nothing rallies us together and makes us forget our differences like a common enemy. Do you understand, my friend? Can I trust you to do this for me?”

 

“HUMAN, YOU'RE TALKING LIKE YOU WON'T BE THERE TOO! I KNEW YOU HAD THE WORDS TO TALK TO ASGORE, AND I ASSURE YOU...I THINK THE KING CAN BE CONVINCED TO END THIS WAR WE DECLARED ON HUMANITY. COME TO THINK OF IT, I CAN'T EXACTLY REMEMBER WHAT STARTED IT...I REMEMBER MY HISTORY CLASS, AND FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND, WE NEVER WANTED TO FIGHT AFTER BEING DRIVEN DOWN HERE.”

 

He paused, but then shook his head and pulled her into a tight hug. “WE CAN ALL BE FRIENDS IF WE ONLY TRY, AND YOU AND I CAN PROVE THAT TO KING ASGORE! AND UNDYNE AND FRISK TOO! WE'LL CONVINCE HIM TOGETHER THAT THIS WAR IS WRONG, AND WE CAN FIND A BETTER WAY!”

 

She wiped her tears as best she could. “Oh, Papyrus,” she whispered, hugging him back with all her strength. “How can I be worried when I have such a great friend beside me? I knew bringing you along was a good idea.”

 

He _nyehed_ softly in her ear, rubbing the base of her neck, and she sighed into his shoulder.

 

“Are you two punks done yet? If we don't hurry up, Alphys will probably eat some of those disgusting instant noodles she keeps in her drawer! We need to get her some proper food!”

 

Undyne's booming voice echoed through the chamber, and Sadie and Papyrus broke apart with a chuckle. He helped her to her feet, holding her hand for just a moment longer than necessary, and a slight stirring of hope fluttered in her chest. If Asgore had Papyrus' vote of confidence, then maybe he could be reasoned with. Maybe...just maybe...they could resolve this peacefully.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, you beautiful people, if you have the time, I need you to go give this fic some love:
> 
> http://archiveofourown.org/works/11147931/chapters/24872913
> 
> It's more Papyrus/OC, same vein as this fic and Healingtale, so go check it out! I think you'll really enjoy it!
> 
> For anyone interested, I did artwork for that last scene:
> 
> http://numberlessneedle.deviantart.com/art/Don-t-Cry-Human-696854856
> 
> Thanks again for reading!


	13. The Lab and a Love Quiz

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The group enters Hotland; Undyne and Sadie's relationship reaches a breaking point, and Mettaton returns.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who has reviewed this story or left kudos so far.

The air turned warm and humid as they passed over a bridge into a dark, warm tunnel leading northward. Undyne quickened her pace, and Sadie could tell that they were coming out of Waterfall into the next portion of the Underground. Papyrus, despite seeing her breakdown, kept a spring in his step, marching beside her with a wide grin. Frisk held her hand, their little fingers wrapping gently around hers, as if they could feel her pain. Well...she supposed she hadn't been very subtle, as she had teared up in front of Frisk and Undyne.

 

The tunnel ended, and she felt the wave of heat wash over her before she saw the pit of lava below them. Undyne slowed, wiping her brow of sweat, and Papyrus looked concerned.

 

“UNDYNE?” he asked, lightly touching her shoulder with a furrowed browbone. “ARE YOU ALRIGHT?”

 

“Fwuh huh huh!” she chuckled, her voice a bit winded. “I'm fine, Paps! Just a bit hot is all.”

 

“Should I go ahead to Alphys' house and get you some water?” Sadie offered, and Frisk nodded, signing something to the warrior. Undyne scowled.

 

“No! I'm not letting you two out of my sight!” She paused, then sighed. “Well, I'm not letting you out of my sight, human. Frisk is alright.”

 

Having said that, she leaned a little on the skeleton, and Sadie turned to the smallest member of their party.

 

“Frisk, can you run ahead to Alphys' house and get water? I'll stay here with Papyrus and Undyne, ok?”

 

The kid nodded and ran off, and Undyne's scowl deepened. “I won't be helped by some little...God, Papyrus, why does Alphys have to live in a place like this? Snowdin sucks, Hotland sucks...the only good places in this dump are Waterfall and the Capital!”

 

The skeleton and the human watched her, both at a loss for words, until Undyne lifted up her head, her eyes flashing in irritation as she glared at Sadie.

 

“And why do you care what happens to me, punk? Trying to suck up to me by getting me water?”

 

Sadie sighed. “Did it ever occur to you that I don't want to see you suffer?”

 

Undyne scoffed, but Papyrus frowned at her. “REALLY, UNDYNE, IS THAT ANY WAY TO TALK TO OUR HUMAN FRIEND?”

 

“She's not my friend, Papyrus! And you!” She shoved her hair out of her face and straightened to her full height. “I don't need your pity! None of us do!”

 

“I don't pity you,” she said softly, staring at the floor. “And for the record...it's ok if you don't like me. I understand why you might feel that way, and I'm not here to force you to like me. I can just hope that we can at least respect each other.”

 

With a growl, she shoved herself off of Papyrus and stormed up to her, grabbing the front of her shirt. “NGAAHHH!!! WHY ARE YOU SO FREAKING NICE ALL THE TIME? WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS? WHY ARE YOU TRYING TO MAKE FRIENDS WITH ME?!”  
  


Sadie frowned, planting her feet firmly in the dirt, and she raised her chin so she could stare the warrior directly in the eye. “Because Papyrus looks up to you. Because you're his friend. He trusts you, and he trusts your judgment.” She took a deep breath and relaxed her shoulders. “So, therefore, I trust you, Undyne. I trust your judgment. I know you'll do the right thing. And why wouldn't I want to make friends with you? Papyrus has had nothing but good things to say about you in the short time I've known him...and Frisk likes you. Alphys likes you. Everyone admires you, Undyne.”

 

The fish warrior slowly let go of her shirt, and took a step back. “So how is it so wrong that I want to be among those people to admire you too? You're driven and loyal, and yeah, you're a bit rough around the edges, but you seem like a really cool person.”

 

Several seconds of silence passed between them, with only a faint rattling sound and a deep hum to fill the hot, humid cavern. Undyne stared at the young woman, her eyes gleaming almost red in the ruddy light, and she finally laughed.

 

“Alright, human,” she growled, a deadly-looking grin on her face. “I'll give it to you that you're braver than most. And...to be honest...I am kind of glad you're here. I don't know how Frisk would do facing Asgore alone, and...well...you know...”

 

Sadie nodded swiftly to end that train of thought, and Undyne lifted her chin high, looking majestic as she glared down at her. “And what have I got to lose, right?”

 

“UNDYNE...DOES THIS MEAN YOU AND THE HUMAN ARE FRIENDS NOW?”

 

“Fwuh huh huh!!!” The warrior summoned a spear in her hand and drove it into the burned ground, and, using said spear as leverage, did a magnificent backflip over her, and set off running towards Frisk, who had just appeared at the bridge with water and Alphys in tow. “Race you to the lab, human!”  
  


She paused a moment to drink the water, then crushed the cup in her hand and threw it into the lava below them. Alphys and Frisk were soon in her arms, and she rushed onward through the cavern, cackling as she ran.

 

“She didn't answer,” Sadie said, mostly to herself. “I guess...I don't know. I think the heat was getting to her.”  
  


“UNDYNE DOESN'T LIKE HOTLAND. AND I PREFER SNOWDIN MYSELF, BUT IT SEEMS LIKE YOU FINALLY GOT THROUGH TO HER! AND IF YOU COULD MAKE UNDYNE LIKE YOU, THEN TALKING TO THE KING WILL BE A BREEZE!”

 

“Are you two just going to stand there or are we racing?” Undyne's voice carried from the next room, and Papyrus grinned.

 

“NYEH HEH HEH!” He grabbed her hand, pulling her along into a light jog. “COME ON, HUMAN, WE SHOULDN'T KEEP OUR FRIENDS WAITING! HOTLAND AWAITS!”

 

His glove was warm, and she almost stumbled as he picked up speed and broke into an all-out sprint with her trailing behind him. Despite the now oppressive heat and tang of sulfur, she laughed aloud, finally matching her rhythm with his until they ran together across the bridge, past an empty water cooler, towards the dark, imposing shadow of a laboratory.

 

Alphys, Frisk and Undyne were already inside; the fish warrior had claimed Alphys' lab chair, and Frisk was in her lap as they spun around and around in a circle. The scientist was digging through her fridge and pulled out several sodas, which Undyne scoffed at.

 

“Soda?” she barked. “Come on, Alphys, soda rots your teeth! It rots your mind, and your fighting spirit! But...if you don't have anything else...”

 

Frisk grinned at Sadie as the warrior accepted a cold soda, and the young woman and Frisk accepted one as well.

 

“IF ALL MY FRIENDS ARE HAVING ONE...I GUESS I'LL HAVE ONE TOO...”

 

Papyrus didn't look extremely thrilled as he took his soda. “Hey,” she whispered to him. “If you don't want any, you don't have to take it. Just because we want some doesn't mean you have to follow suit.”

 

“WELL...I DON'T WANT TO MISS OUT, IS ALL...”

 

“That's understandable,” she said, sipping at her drink. The crisp tang of lemon hit her tongue and refreshed her, and she sighed in contentment. “But again, you don't have to do what we do just because we're doing it. We don't like you because you drink soda or you don't. We like you because you're kind and enthusiastic and a great friend.”

 

He stared at her a moment, his eyes practically glowing. “HUMAN...THANK YOU...I LIKE YOU BECAUSE YOU'RE ALWAYS SO HONEST WITH ME! IT'S AN ADMIRABLE TRAIT!” He coughed. “BUT THAT IS ONLY ONE REASON WHY I LIKE YOU! YOU HAVE LOTS OF GOOD THINGS ABOUT YOU THAT...UM...IS IT HOT IN HERE OR IS IT JUST ME?”

 

“Ah, thanks, Papyrus.” She could feel her face flushing, but she decided to blame it on the heat. Alphys' lab was still rather warm. “You're always honest too. I like that about you. And yes, it is kind of warm in here.”

 

He smiled at her, his cheeks a burnt orange color, and he quickly handed his unopened soda back to Alphys. “DOCTOR, I AM AFRAID I'D RATHER NOT HAVE THIS SODA. BUT THANK YOU FOR OFFERING!”

 

“O-Oh, P-P-Papyrus, that's o-ok! I-I don't m-mind if you d-don't want it!” She put it back in the fridge, and Sadie caught movement out of the corner of her eye. Frisk was signing furiously to Undyne, and the warrior laughed, nodding along to whatever the kid was saying.

 

“Care to share, Frisk?” she said, fixing a stern glare on the young human. The child only smiled at her, giving her a thumbs up. Undyne winked at her.

 

“Frisk was just saying how cute you two are together,” the warrior explained, and Sadie frowned. “I mean, by now everyone can see it. You two like each other.”

 

A sudden flash of red turned her attention back to Papyrus, who by now was the color of beets, his eyes wide in apparent panic. “I...I DON'T...I LIKE HER VERY VERY MUCH UNDYNE, BUT...I...I HAVEN'T EVEN...WHY DO YOU HAVE TO MAKE THIS SO DIFFICULT?”

 

“ _OH, LOOKS LIKE THAT'S MY CUE! WHERE THERE'S DRAMA AND ROMANCE, YOU CAN GUARANTEE THAT METTATON WILL BE THERE!”_

 

“How did he get in here?” Undyne hissed, and Alphys put her head in her hands. Frisk, as usual, looked completely unfazed by the robot celebrity's sudden entrance.

 

But nevertheless, chairs were produced from nowhere, and the film crew set up their equipment so fast she swore they had to be using magic to do it. Mettaton stood this time, with no table to block him in, and the five of them were seated very much like the previous episode.

 

“ _WELCOME BACK TO OUR SHOW, BEAUTIES AND GENTLEBEAUTIES! TONIGHT, MORE ROMANCE! MORE DRAMA! WHEN WE LAST SAW OUR STAR-CROSSED LOVERS, SADIE AND PAPYRUS HAD NOT CONFESSED THEIR FEELINGS! WILL THAT CHANGE ON TONIGHT'S EPISODE? WILL THEY FINALLY HAVE THE LOVE THEY'VE ALWAYS DREAMED OF? AND EVEN IF THEY DO, HOW LONG WILL IT LAST?”_

 

Papyrus groaned and hid his face in his gloved hands, and she patted him on the back in an effort to comfort him. Undyne shook with silent laughter, and, perhaps in solidarity with her and Papyrus, Alphys was sweating profusely, her cheeks as red as blood.

 

“ _SO NO WORD FROM OUR TWO LOVEBIRDS, HUH? OH, WE CAN CHANGE THAT SOON ENOUGH! HOW ABOUT A LITTLE QUIZ SHOW TO LOOSEN YOUR TONGUES, HM?”_

 

Frisk acted first, and gave a thumbs-up to the robot.

 

“ _WELL, IF FRISK WANTS IT THAT WAY, WHO AM I TO SAY NO? FIRST UP, IT'S ALPHYS! DOCTOR, WHAT'S UNDYNE'S FAVORITE COLOR?”_

 

“Wait, I thought these questions were supposed to be about the human and Papyrus!” Undyne protested, and Mettaton waggled a metallic finger at her.

 

“ _TSK, TSK, NO INTERUPTIONS! ALPHYS, YOU HAVE FIVE SECONDS TO ANSWER! WE WOULDN'T WANT TO KEEP OUR LOVELY AUDIENCE WAITING, WOULD WE?”_

 

The lizard shook in her chair, and finally lifted her eyes above her fingers to sputter an answer. “U-um...b-b-blue, right?”

 

Undyne grinned and nodded.

 

“ _OH HO! FIRST POINT TO ALPHYS! EXCELLENT ANSWER, DOCTOR! NOW, UNDYNE...WHAT'S DR. ALPHYS' FAVORITE FLAVOR OF ICE CREAM?”_

 

“Ok, you hunk of metal, we didn't ask you to make questions about-”

 

“ _OH, I'M AFRAID THAT'S THE WRONG ANSWER! AND COMPLAINING IS AGAINST THE RULES! ANYONE ELSE WANT TO HAZARD A GUESS?_ ”

 

“OOH! OOH! I BET IT'S SPAGHETTI!!”

 

She couldn't help but laugh, and Mettaton tsked, shaking his finger at Papyrus now. “ _I'M AFRAID THAT'S ALSO WRONG, MY DEAR SKELETON! CAN THE HUMANS GET THE RIGHT ANSWER?”_

 

Frisk smiled and signed something to the robot, who chuckled. “ _CORRECT, FRISK! THE ANSWER IS SEAWEED!”_

 

“What?! I should have known that!!”

 

“I-it's ok, U-Undyne, you t-tried your b-best. It's n-nothing, really-”

 

“I want another question!” the warrior shouted, but Mettaton laughed.

 

“ _IT'S NOT YOUR TURN ANYMORE, UNDYNE! FRISK, DARLING...WHAT'S MY SECRET AMBITION?”_

 

The child apparently knew the answer, as Alphys gave them a thumbs-up, and Undyne patted them (rather forcefully) on the back. “Alright, Frisk! Show that robot who's boss!”

 

“ _THE LITTLE HUMAN IS ONCE AGAIN CORRECT! MY DEAREST AMBITION IS TO ENTERTAIN ON THE SURFACE AND BE ADORED BY MILLIONS, BUT THAT DREAM WILL HAVE TO WAIT A LITTLE WHILE LONGER...ON TO THE NEXT QUESTION! PAPYRUS, WHO DOES UNDYNE HAVE A CRUSH ON?”_

 

“ARE YOU KIDDING ME RIGHT NOW??!!!”

 

Everyone looked to Undyne, who stared at the robot with her gleaming golden eye. Sadie hadn't known her very long, but she didn't think the warrior got this angry very often. Papyrus, on the other hand, sat stock-still in his chair, sweating under the lights.

 

“UM...UNDYNE...I DON'T WANT TO TELL HIM THE ANSWER TO THAT QUESTION.”

 

“ _SO YOU KNOW THE ANSWER, BUT YOU WON'T SAY?”_

 

“CORRECT,” the skeleton said, and Frisk smiled. “THAT INFORMATION IS PRIVATE, METTATON. CAN I HAVE A DIFFERENT QUESTION?”

 

“ _NO CAN DO! DOES ANYONE ELSE WANT TO HAZARD A GUESS?”_

 

Frisk shrugged, and Alphys looked to be halfway between panic and outright glee. But no one volunteered an answer, and Mettaton declared the question answered wrongly anyway.

 

“ _THE CORRECT ANSWER TO THAT QUESTION WOULD BE-”_

 

“I WILL END YOU!” the fish warrior screeched, and the robot simply chuckled.

 

“ _WELL, MY METAL BODY RENDERS ME INVULNERABLE TO ATTACK, SO I DOUBT YOU'D GET VERY FAR, CAPTAIN UNDYNE! BUT IF YOU INSIST, WE'LL LEAVE A BOOKMARK ON THAT QUESTION AND MOVE ON! AS IT STANDS, OUR SCORE IS FRISK:2, ALPHYS:1, AND UNDYNE AND PAPYRUS ARE IN LAST PLACE WITH 0 POINTS EACH. WELL, DARLING...ARE YOU READY FOR YOUR QUESTION?”_

 

Sadie stared at him with tired eyes. “As ready as I'm ever going to be.”

 

“ _THEN...AND THE AUDIENCE HAS BEEN DYING TO HEAR YOU SAY IT...WHO DOES PAPYRUS HAVE A CRUSH ON?”_

 

And the world went still.

 

Her heart thundered in her chest; out of the corner of her eye, she could see multiple monsters turning red, and she could hear Undyne's quiet laughter as the warrior watched her falter. Frisk, stoic as ever, patted Papyrus on the back, and if the square robot in front of her could smile, she was sure he would be smirking right about now.

 

She turned to Papyrus, whose gaze flickered back and forth between her and Mettaton, and he finally set eyes on her in near panic. And, with just one look, her heartbeat calmed, but still thudded faster than normal.

 

“I won't answer,” she declared, turning back to the host. Mettaton shifted on his wheel, tapping his metallic finger on his body. “For one, I don't really know the answer, and two, he means too much to me for someone like you to embarrass him on television.”

 

She stood, and she could see the cameras focusing on her, but one stayed pointed at Papyrus. “You want an answer? I know this will be counted wrong, but here goes: I care about Papyrus more than any monster in this room. He is sweet and considerate and always sees the bright side of things. If he does have a crush on someone, that someone is the luckiest person on Earth. I mean, to be _so_ admired by someone so admirable and wonderful...whoever you are, Papyrus' crush, you are exceedingly lucky. And you must be someone pretty amazing to catch his attention, so...kudos to you.”

 

Her heart had sped up again, but she took a deep breath and sat down; she felt silly and vulnerable for doing something so rash, but one look at Papyrus lessened those feelings. His gaze was tender as he stared at her, his eyes practically glowing, and she smiled brightly at him, wrapping her arm around his shoulders.

 

“ _WELL...IF THAT'S YOUR FINAL ANSWER...ANYONE ELSE WANT TO TELL HER WHAT SHE WON'T ACKNOWLEGE?”_

 

“I really don't know what you think you mean by-”

 

“ _ANYONE?”_

 

Everyone was silent, and Undyne looked frustrated by something. “I suppose I won't say it,” she finally said, hanging her head. “But anyone with eyes in their head can see what's going on here.”

 

“ _WELL, BEAUTIES AND GENTLEBEAUTIES, I'M AFRAID THAT'S ALL THE TIME WE HAVE! WILL PAPYRUS AND SADIE FINALLY CONFESS THEIR FEELINGS NEXT TIME? WHO DOES UNDYNE HAVE A CRUSH ON? FIND OUT NEXT TIME ON MTT TELEVISION ™!”_

 

And with that, the show was done, and the crew and Mettaton were gone as quickly as they had arrived. Papyrus turned to her, his smile watery and his cheeks a bright reddish-orange.

 

“SADIE...D-DID YOU REALLY M-MEAN ALL OF THAT? Y-YOU REALLY CARE A-ABOUT ME MORE THAN A-ANYONE ELSE?”

 

“How could I not?” she whispered, drawing him into a hug. “You are the greatest friend one could ask for, and yes...anyone who could capture your heart is a very very fortunate person.”

 

She could hear Undyne muttering under her breath, but she ignored that, closing her eyes and savoring Papyrus' touch.

 

“W-WELL...U-UM...HOTLAND A-AWAITS, SO W-WE SHOULD GET G-GOING, R-RIGHT?”

 

“If you punks won't even admit how you...nevermind,” the warrior groused. “Come on, let's go, you guys.”

 

Sadie turned to say goodbye to Alphys, but the lizard drew her labcoat around her scaly body. “I-I think I-I c-can come with y-you through H-Hotland at least...e-even to the J-Judgment Hall...I-I got m-m-my work d-done, s-so...”

 

“Alright, Alphys!” Undyne shouted, and Frisk took Alphys' hand, pulling her along towards the eastern door. The warrior, as always, led the group, and she and Papyrus brought up the rear. Sadie looked one last time over Alphys' lab, then turned to face the red, cloying heat that waited beyond the door.

 

“H-HUMAN...JUST A MOMENT.”

 

He said it in a whisper, but Undyne was so caught up in talking to Alphys and Frisk that she apparently didn't notice, and continued on out the door, leaving her and Papyrus alone again.

 

“Y-YOU...YOU DIDN'T HAVE TO DEFEND ME AGAINST METTATON, BUT FOR WHAT IT'S WORTH...I A-APPRECIATE THAT Y-YOU DIDN'T SAY ANYTHING...I-I...I REALLY LIKE METTATON AND I LIKE HIS SHOWS, BUT I WOULDN'T WANT EVERYONE TO KNOW W-WHO I HAVE A...A C-CRUSH ON...”  
  


“Papyrus, I would never throw you under the bus like that. I care too much about you to let that happen.” She smiled up at him, and, in some wild fit of bravery, reached up and gently cupped his cheekbone. “Besides, you're my friend...a great friend...one of the best friends I've ever had...I would never want your personal life to be made public like that. The last thing I want to do is make you uncomfortable.”

 

He closed his eyes and leaned into her hand for a moment, and his gloved phalanges found her wrist, gently touching down on the back of her hand. Her thumb twitched at the sudden contact and swept over his zygomatic arch.

 

“W-WOULD YOU LIKE T-TO KNOW W-WHO I HAVE A C-CRUSH ON, HUMAN?”  
  


Her heart felt like it would burst from her chest as it raced to top speed. “Only if you want to tell me,” she said, her voice no louder than a whisper.

 

“PUNKS, I SWEAR TO ASGORE, IF YOU CAN'T KEEP UP, I WILL DRAG THE BOTH OF YOU TO THE THRONE ROOM!”

 

They broke apart before Undyne nearly smashed down the door; Papyrus turned beet red and dashed out the door, Sadie hot on his heels.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wasn't sure how I really felt about this chapter before reading it a few times over. And I'm at a point where I like it. The quiz show was cheesy, but no more cheesy than Mettaton's quiz with Frisk, and I tried to make this one as love-based as I could. Mettaton recognizes Undyne and Frisk's plan, and comes back with a plan of his own. More drama, more romance, right?
> 
> Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it.
> 
> Mandatory plugs:
> 
> An entry in the ever-growing "Falling after Frisk and Falling for Papyrus" genre: http://archiveofourown.org/works/11147931/chapters/24872913
> 
> It's a good read, so go read it!


	14. Hotland

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The group travels through Hotland, and receives a special surprise at MTT Resort.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry for being gone so long, you guys. I think with a little more effort, I can have a more consistent update schedule, and now that we're through Hotland (my stumbling block), several more chapters should come naturally to me.
> 
> Anyway, enjoy the chapter!

The Lab doors closed behind Sadie with a _whoosh_ , and she immediately took off Papyrus' scarf. The heat was far too close for such accessories, and she wondered at how diverse the Underground's ecosystems actually were. As she handed Papyrus his scarf back, he wrapped it around his neck and threw the end over his shoulder with a flourish.

 

“NYEH HEH! I HOPE MY SCARF SERVED YOU WELL AND KEPT YOU WARM, HUMAN!” He gestured grandly to the lava pits in front of them, standing proudly as the ruddy light turned his bones to hues of gold and red. “BEHOLD, THE WONDERS OF HOTLAND! ISN'T IT GLORIOUS? THE FLAMES, THE LAVA, THE BROILING HEAT, AS IF MOUNT EBOTT ITSELF WERE OVERFLOWING WITH PASSION!”

 

She slowed her advance forward as she took in the cavern around her. Lava pulsated around the walkway, washing up on its sides like waves on a boardwalk. The walls glowed an angry red, lit ominously from the magma below. The air was close and acrid, almost burning her nostrils as she breathed it in.

 

“Oh God,” she whispered. “I forgot...Ebott is a dormant volcano, isn't it?”

 

“YES IT IS, HUMAN! THANKFULLY, OUR KING REALIZED THIS FACT AS SOON AS WE WERE BANISHED HERE! OUR GREATEST MINDS OF THE TIME FOUND A WAY TO SUPPRESS THE LAVA AND KEEP ERUPTIONS UNDER CONTROL. AND OF COURSE THE CORE USES GEOTHERMAL ENERGY TO GENERATE ELECTRICITY FOR THE ENTIRE UNDERGROUND!”

 

“Really?” She noted the rest of the group waiting for them at the end of the walkway, where stone abruptly turned into some sort of conveyor belt. “And this geothermal energy burns clean, right?”

 

“HM, I'M NOT ENTIRELY SURE. BUT I'M SURE DR. ALPHYS WOULD KNOW! DOCTOR, DOES THE GEOTHERMAL ENERGY GENERATED BY THE CORE...'BURN CLEAN', AS SADIE PUTS IT?”

 

“If y-you mean it does l-less h-h-harm to the e-environment, t-then, y-yes, of course! W-We just don't h-have the r-resources to c-clean any widespread p-p-pollution, so any alternative t-to clean g-geothermal e-energy would b-be disastrous! W-We had t-to come up with a b-better way to power the U-Underground, so...there we are...I w-won't bore you with t-the specifics, i-it's really l-long and complicated, and...a-anyway, we travel a-around Hotland with s-steam vents! Come look!”

 

They stepped onto the conveyor belt, and like a moving walkway in an airport, they glided over the lava bubbling below, towards another stone causeway. The stone ended in a cliff, puffs of smoke from a large vent blocking her view beyond, but she couldn't see a way over the lava.

 

“Watch and learn, human!” Undyne shouted, then stepped confidently onto the vent. In a puff of air, she was sent airborne, almost gliding as she soared elegantly across the chasm, and she landed safely on the other side.

 

“See? Easy as pie!”

 

Alphys stepped up and glided over the chasm, and Sadie thought she heard a giggle escape the lizard monster at the peak of the arc. But even despite the apparent ease of this method of travel, she couldn't help but feel like her turn might go terribly wrong.

 

“Papyrus?”

 

He turned to her with a grin. “NYEH?”

 

“Are...are you sure I'm light enough for that thing? How much do monsters weigh?”

 

The corners of his mouth turned down, and he looked confused for a moment. “HUMAN...ARE YOU AFRAID YOU'LL FALL?” She nodded. “OH, HUMAN, IF I COULD CARRY YOU THROUGH SNOWDIN, I'M SURE THIS VENT WILL SEND YOU SOARING TO THE OTHER SIDE! BESIDES, YOU...YOU DON'T LOOK REASSURED, SADIE, WAS IT SOMETHING I SAID?”

 

She crossed her arms over her chest, but then gasped and stepped forward to apprehend Frisk, who was next up on the vent. She felt a scream building in her throat as the kid glided easily over the gap, even doing a little spin in midair, and they gave her a thumbs up once they landed.

 

Now her knees felt weak and her hands were shaking as she stared into the lava bubbling below them.

 

“OH DEAR, YOU DON'T LOOK EXCITED AT ALL! OH HUMAN, HAD I KNOWN YOU FELT THIS WAY...LISTEN TO ME.”

 

He gently turned her to face him, ignoring Undyne's cries for them to hurry it up already. “HUMAN, I WILL NOT LET YOU FALL. REMEMBER WHEN WE FOUGHT? REMEMBER HOW YOUR SOUL FELT? IF IT MAKES YOU FEEL BETTER, I WILL HOLD ONTO YOUR SOUL WITH MY MAGIC AS YOU CROSS, IN CASE SOMETHING HAPPENS. I PROMISE, I WON'T LET YOU FALL.”

 

Tears nearly sprung into her eyes, and she nodded enthusiastically, waiting patiently at the edge of the vent for his magic to take hold. She glanced down at her chest, expecting her soul to become exposed, but all she saw was a bright blue glow seeping through her clothes. She felt heavy and grounded, but somehow safe and protected, like he was holding her in the palm of his hand.

 

“READY WHEN YOU ARE, HUMAN!”

 

She took a deep breath, and with one last glance at Papyrus, she stepped onto the vent and felt the ground abruptly tear away from her body. She squealed in surprise, watching the lava down below, and though the vent didn't throw her very high, for a moment she could see all the monsters and kid watching her progress. And she landed among them, laughing now at the feeling, as if she had gone on some wild roller coaster ride.

 

“Thank you!” she shouted back to the skeleton, who let go of her soul. “Thank you so much!”

 

She could hear him laughing as he crossed the gap, and he landed elegantly beside her. “IT WAS NOTHING FOR THE GREAT PAPYRUS! IF YOU NEED MY ASSISTANCE AGAIN, JUST LET ME KNOW!”

 

“Well, um...” She gestured to the rest of the vents waiting for them, and he nodded firmly. And so the group made their way across the little islands of safety, towards a northern corridor that led them deeper into Hotland. She felt her soul encased in his magic every time she crossed a chasm, and he was right behind her as they made their way forward. Undyne and Frisk kept giving them both odd, conspiratorial looks, and Alphys seemed to be getting redder with every gap crossed.

 

Finally, they made it to the northern corridor and walked a little ways more, before more vents awaited them.

 

“I REALLY PREFER ICE AND SPIKES MYSELF,” Papyrus confided in her as Undyne made the cross the vent. She noted privately that this one rotated and the warrior had to wait for the right direction to step on. “THOUGH HOTLAND IS FULL OF COOL FLAMES, THESE CONVEYOR BELTS AND VENTS JUST DON'T HAVE THE SAME PIZAZZ.”

 

“I think I liked ice and spikes better too,” she whispered, and stepped up to the vent. She waited, carefully watching the rotation until it pointed in the correct direction. And with that now-familiar heaviness in her soul, she stepped on and flew over to their waiting party.

 

They walked through a heavy set of doors, the entrance's electronic components blinking languidly as they passed. Sadie didn't feel quite so nervous on the vents now that she and Papyrus had found a system together, but that still couldn't stop her heart from racing as she bounced across three vents into the next room.

 

The place looked like an abandoned set, and Alphys turned to Frisk with a nervous smile. “R-Remember this? I-I-I didn't t-think I was g-going to call in t-time to s-s-save you! W-Who knew Mettaton would b-be okay w-with a vegan s-substitute!”

 

“Don't ask!” Undyne growled with a grin as Sadie opened her mouth. She snapped it closed and shrugged at Papyrus, who shrugged as well. And the group moved on.

 

A loud, rhythmic clanging reached her ears as they wandered onto a long walkway, and her eyes widened at the sight of an enormous building in the distance.

 

“See that?” Alphys asked, pointing with a weak grin. “T-That's the Core!”

 

“Wow,” she breathed, and Frisk walked with her to the edge so they could see a little better. “And you said this powers the entire Underground?”

 

The lizard nodded, staring blankly at the sight, her eyes glazed over as if her thoughts were miles away. Frisk was silent as always, and Undyne seemed impatient, but even Papyrus seemed a little out of sorts. She nudged him gently.

 

“Something wrong?” she murmured, and he sighed.

 

“WELL...WE'RE GETTING CLOSER TO ASGORE'S CASTLE NOW...IT'S JUST PAST THE CORE. PRETTY SOON YOU TWO WILL BE MEETING HIM AND WE WON'T BE ABLE TO HANG OUT AS OFTEN. I...I'VE HAD SO MUCH FUN WITH YOU AND FRISK...I NEVER KNEW HUMANS WOULD BE THIS NICE.”

 

She stared at him, her gaze softening, and she noted Frisk latching onto Papyrus's leg, squeezing it tight. She followed suit, pulling the skeleton into a warm, gentle hug.

 

“No matter what happens,” she whispered against his skull, “we'll always be friends. You and me and Frisk, and Undyne and Alphys and Sans too. All of us.”

 

“NYEH,” he breathed back. “I'M SO GLAD YOU TWO ARE HERE.”

 

“Me too,” she said, and she meant it. Even if her meeting with Asgore went terribly wrong, at least...at least these monsters could live a better life.

 

“Alright, guys, come on! We don't have time for your feelings circle!”

 

The three of them pulled apart and followed Undyne further on, and Sadie sighed as the Core faded into the distance.

 

…

 

One elevator ride later, and it seemed they were coming into a more populated area of Hotland. She had glimpsed some schoolchildren lounging around on the lower levels, but up here, to her surprise, Sans was lollygagging behind a stand; though she couldn't tell what he was selling or doing, several monsters had gathered in this room. Papyrus ran up to greet his brother (and promptly chide him for not cleaning the snow off his roof – wait, there was snow on his roof?), and Undyne followed closely behind, laughing at the temper tantrum before them.

 

“OF ALL THE THINGS TO BE DOING AT A TIME LIKE THIS! SANS, THIS ISN'T EVEN ONE OF YOUR JOBS! YOU'RE A SENTRY, FOR ASGORE'S SAKE!”

 

“ah, don't _dog_ me, bro. besides, business is booming.”

 

She didn't understand the pun until Sans held out a hot dog to Frisk, who promptly took it with a nod. They tried to hand over some Gold, but the shorter skeleton refused.

 

“ah, kid, it's on the house. hey bud, want a dog? short for hot dog?”

 

She shoved her hands into her pockets. “Sans, I don't have enough Gold for that.”

 

“nah, like i said, it's on me. come on, it could do you some good.”

 

With a quick glance at Frisk (who gave her an enthusiastic thumbs-up), she took a reluctant step forward. “And this is monster food?”

 

Sans winked. “yup. doesn't spoil.”

 

She sighed, conceding. “Okay, I'll take one.”

 

He wrapped it in some paper for her and handed it over, and though she forced a smile on her face, he didn't look convinced. “hey, bud, you still mad about yesterday?”

 

“No,” she insisted wearily, even as Papyrus frowned. “WHAT HAPPENED YESTERDAY?”

 

Even Undyne looked a little intrigued. “Yeah, what happened yesterday? Did this bonehead say one too many puns or something?”

 

Sadie shrugged. “It's nothing. And no, I'm not still mad about yesterday, Sans. I understand your reaction, alright? I'm the first adult human the Underground has seen in ten years, so...”

 

“HUMAN, WHAT HAPPENED YESTERDAY?”

 

Finally, she looked at Papyrus and Undyne. “Nothing, just a disagreement is all. It's all in the past, gone and forgotten. Thank you for the hot dog, Sans. You have a good day, and good luck with the stand and all that.”

 

He stared at her for a long moment, and she could hear Undyne and Alphys whispering something behind her back.

 

“kid,” he murmured, his voice soft, and warmer than she had ever heard it. “you're gonna do fine. i think you might be worrying over nothin', ya know? so just relax. enjoy hotland! enjoy watching fishface over here melt in this heat! and know we're all behind ya, no matter what happens, alright?”

 

She bit her lip to stop herself from tearing up, and she nodded stiffly and thanked him one last time. For a brief moment, she saw Frisk give Sans a subtle high-five, and the shorter skeleton leaned down to whisper something to them.

 

But Papyrus' hand on her shoulder distracted her from watching Frisk, and she could barely meet his gaze.

 

“HUMAN...I...I DON'T KNOW WHAT HAPPENED YESTERDAY, BUT SANS IS RIGHT. YOU DON'T NEED TO WORRY ABOUT MEETING ASGORE. YOU DON'T NEED TO WORRY ABOUT ANYTHING! WE'RE ALL BEHIND YOU, JUST LIKE HE SAID!” He paused for a moment, leaning forward. “WOULD...WOULD IT MAKE YOU FEEL BETTER IF I WENT WITH YOU TO MEET ASGORE? IF I ACCOMPANIED YOU ALL THE WAY TO THE THRONE ROOM? I WANT YOU TO SEE THAT THERE'S NOTHING TO BE AFRAID OF! I...I WANT YOU TO BE HAPPY HERE.”

 

“I am happy here,” she said firmly. “I've never been happier. Never doubt that.” She sighed and glanced at Undyne, who apparently had heard their exchange. “As much as I would like for you to come with me all the way to the throne room, I think I have to go alone. But knowing you're behind me, that you'll support me no matter what...” An earnest smile broke out across her face. “Then you're absolutely right in that I have nothing to fear.”

 

He looked slightly disappointed, but he rallied with a smile.

 

“Alright, you lovebirds, let's get a move on! I don't want to spend any more time in this place then I have to!”

 

Frisk skipped ahead, signing something to Papyrus as the group moved on, and he gasped in glee. “UNDYNE! FRISK SAYS THAT METTATON IS HAVING A LIVE SHOW THIS AFTERNOON AT MTT RESORT! WE SHOULD GO!”

 

“Oh! W-When does i-it start?”

 

“IN ABOUT AN HOUR, THEY SAID! WOULDN'T IT BE GREAT?”

 

“I think I've had about enough of Mettaton for now, Paps,” Undyne growled. “Besides, we haven't seen all of Hotland, and you were determined to take the long route to the Capital.”

 

Papyrus rubbed his chin, then glanced sidelong at her. “HUMAN,” he hissed, “WHAT WOULD YOU RATHER DO?”

 

She frowned. “Well, I think Undyne might just keel over if we stay in this heat much longer. Where is MTT Resort?”

 

“PAST HOTLAND, JUST OUTSIDE THE CORE. IT'S COOLER THERE...I THINK. UNDYNE, THE HUMAN SAYS WE SHOULD GO TO MTT RESORT! WE SHOULD TAKE THE SHORTCUT AT THE NEXT ELEVATOR AND GO REST, BEFORE THIS HEAT STARTS GETTING TO YOU AGAIN!”

 

Frisk nodded along, presumably signing in agreement as Alphys stuttered out her consensus with her and Papyrus.

 

“Alright, alright! We'll go to this dumb show! But only for a little while, and only because I'm sick of being in Hotland! Come on, punks, let's get a move on!”

 

Perhaps the promise of a respite put the fire into Undyne's steps, because instead of lagging slightly as she had been through most of Hotland, now she marched ahead, making Alphys nearly jog just to keep up. Papyrus _nyehed_ in victory and swept Frisk up onto his shoulders, jogging along lightly to keep pace with the warrior at the front. And Sadie tried her best to keep up, though she noted the others reached the elevator sooner than she did.

 

She glimped a city not too far off as they finally reached the Resort, and Papyrus put Frisk down before following Undyne into the lobby. The place was packed with monsters of every size and shape, and she had to clutch tightly to Papyrus' scarf to not get lost in the crowd. Frisk gripped tightly to his thigh bone, and seeing both their predicaments, he took both their hands and led them through the crowd. Even still, it took them a good while to get to the front of the line.

 

“Give me some tickets for this dumb show!” Undyne shouted at the cat monster working the door to the restaurant, where it seemed this show would take place. The nervous-looking employee glanced at a clipboard and started sweating.

 

“Um,” he said with a pained grin. “It says here that Captain Undyne and her party are to be seated at the front, free of charge. You just...have to sign right here.”

 

“FREE OF CHARGE? WOWIE!”

 

Papyrus grabbed the clipboard and started scanning the paper, but Undyne grabbed it out of his hands before he could reach the bottom. She scanned it quickly, an evil grin spreading across her features, and Sadie had to admit she looked slightly terrifying as she fixed her golden eye on the two of them.

 

“You know, Paps, I think this show might not be so bad after all.” She quickly signed and handed the paper back to the cat monster, who pointed out their VIP table right in the front of the stage.

 

“What is that supposed to mean?” she asked, genuinely curious. “Are we going to have to do something later to make up for the cost or something?”

 

“No, nothing like that! I'm captain of the Royal Guard, punk! That comes with a few perks, and my friends benefit from those perks as much as I do!”

 

“BUT UNDYNE, ISN'T THAT AN ABUSE OF POWER?”

 

“No, Paps, Mettaton is letting us be at this show tonight for free because of our contributions to his show earlier day and yesterday. A little quid pro quo, as the humans say.”

 

The skeleton seemed to accept this answer, and he practically vibrated in excitement as they sat at their table; he trembled so much she thought she could hear his bones rattling.

 

“Papyrus, are you alright?” she whispered.

 

“I'M JUST SO EXCITED!” he whispered back (though not very quietly, she noted). “I'VE ONLY EVER SEEN METTATON LIVE TWICE BEFORE, AND THAT WAS LAST NIGHT AND TODAY! I CAN'T BELIEVE I'M AT ONE OF HIS SHOWS!”

 

“I'm so glad you're getting this opportunity,” she replied with a grin. “And I think it was a great idea to come here. Undyne looks better already!”

 

The warrior's glowing yellow eyes were still locked on them, and she leaned forward to whisper something to Alphys, who offered a shaky smile in return. Sadie ignored them and focused on the rest of the room.

 

“IT LOOKS LIKE A LOT OF PEOPLE FROM THE CAPITAL CAME OUT THIS EVENING!” her companion said, scanning the crowd with her. “I DON'T RECOGNIZE ANYONE HERE!”

 

She hummed in agreement, but before she could say anything else, the stage lit up, and there stood the now-familiar rectangle, a shiny gold bowtie affixed to his front.

 

“ _GOOD EVENING, BEAUTIES AND GENTLEBEAUTIES! WELCOME TO THE LIVE METTATON PERFORMANCE, COMING TO YOU FROM THE ONE AND ONLY MTT RESORT! AND WHAT A LOVELY AUDIENCE WE HAVE HERE TONIGHT! GIVE YOURSELVES A ROUND OF APPLAUSE!_ ”

 

Everyone cheered, and Papyrus whooped, making Undyne cackle at his joyous expression.

 

“ _THOUGH WE ANNOUNCED THIS LIVE SHOW ONLY THIS AFTERNOON, I'M MORE THAN PLEASED TO SAY THE MAIN ACT HAS REMAINED A SECRET UNTIL NOW! TONIGHT, WE HAVE TWO VERY SPECIAL GUESTS IN THE AUDIENCE WITH US! AND THEY'LL BE SHARING THEIR TALENTS WITH ALL OF YOU IN THE UNDERGROUND!_ ”

 

Sadie could feel her stomach drop as a cold realization dawned over her.

 

“ _GIVE IT UP FOR PAPYRUS THE SKELETON AND SADIE THE HUMAN AS THEY PERFORM A ONE-OF-A-KIND SING-OFF!!!_ ”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> She really should have seen that coming. Anyway, if you want, feel free to leave song suggestions in the comments! I plan on writing all these songs myself, so all I need are prompts. Give me your best mushy titles, dear reader!
> 
> Also, before I forget, go check out Rnd_Injustice's "My Favourite Red Scarf". It's an amazing read, and well worth your time: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12591208/chapters/28678420


	15. The Sing-Off

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Sing-Off commences, with more drama and romance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you guys so much for reviewing! This was really challenging and really fun to write, and has beget another half-chapter at least. So stayed tuned for that this month! :)

It felt as if the entire Underground was silent as she was shoved onstage by Frisk.

 

Sadie could see the crowd cheering, and she could see Undyne frog-marching Papyrus onstage across from her, and she could see Mettaton's lights flashing in different configurations. She could feel the heat of the lights above her head, and Frisk's hand in hers as they squeezed her, then disappeared back to the table....

 

And then sound rushed back to her, and she and Papyrus stared nervously at each other as Mettaton wheeled forward to the front of the stage.

 

“ _OH MY! I CAN ALREADY FEEL THE DRAMA AND ROMANCE! THE RULES ARE SIMPLE, YOU TWO: SING A SONG TO YOUR PARTNER, AND I'LL JUDGE THE WINNER AT THE END OF THREE ROUNDS. WE'LL HAVE A COIN TOSS TO DECIDE WHO GOES FIRST!_ ” The cat monster, who was now lurking just offstage, tossed the robot a Gold. “ _GOLD SAYS SADIE GOES FIRST, DELTA RUNE FOR PAPYRUS!_ ”

 

The coin shimmered as it flipped through the air, and it clattered to the ground with a heavy _thud_. “ _GOLD SIDE WINS! SADIE, DARLING, GIVE US YOUR BEST SONG!_ ”

 

“What kind?” she whispered, and Mettaton flourished his arms towards the crowd.

 

“ _WHAT KIND? SADIE, SADIE, SURELY YOU KNOW WE ALL WANT TO HEAR A LOVE SONG?_ ”

 

“Oh,” was all she could think to say, and she noted Papyrus looked rather pink. She smiled softly at him and closed her eyes, willing something to come to her.

 

“ _N-No matter what I do, I can't leave you behind/ I see you everywhere, you're always on my mind/ It's too late to stop this, this feeling is true/ I don't know how to start – oh what's a girl to do? Just say you love me too! The only one I want is you!_ ”

 

Her voice came out shaky, and far quieter than she wanted, but she swallowed thickly and focused on Papyrus. She willed the crowd to melt away so she could concentrate on singing. The oldie she had chosen was one of her favorites, and though the thought made tears spring in her eyes, it felt appropriate for the situation.

 

And just when she thought she would have to do the entire song acapella, suddenly a piano and something vaguely electronic accompanied her, filling in the gaps with chords that weren't quite right, but still better than just her voice filling the silence.

 

“ _Hold me like you'll never ever let me go/ Kiss me like you've always loved me even so/ It's too late to stop this, you're part of me/ My heart was locked before, but now you hold the key/ Just say you love me too! The only one I want is you!”_

 

“ _A BEAUTIFUL START, AND SO MOVING!”_ the robot said, shaking her from her headspace. The crowd was applauding her though, and she smiled weakly out at them.

 

A screen she hadn't noticed before flashed with statistics. _Romance +100, Timidity -50, Talent +200_ – it seemed her final score was two hundred and fifty points, if she was interpreting this correctly.

 

“ _PAPYRUS, WHAT'S YOUR REPLY?”_

 

An exceedingly pink Papyrus coughed and straightened, and he took a deep breath (despite not having lungs).

 

“THE SKIES ARE CLEAR WHEN I'M WITH YOU/ MY SOUL CAN SOAR ABOVE THE CROWDS/ AND STARLIGHT'S JUST WITHIN MY REACH/ AND HEAVEN HERE AMONG THE CLOUDS.”

 

She hadn't expected such a sweeping, epic number, but it seemed whatever song he was singing was familiar to the audience. She thought she heard a few of them humming along, and it seemed Mettaton knew the song too. The monster musicians started accompanying Papyrus with a piano and electric guitar.

 

“BUT WITHOUT YOU, I FALL TO EARTH/ MY HOPES ARE GONE, MY SOUL STILL STINGS/ WITH YOUR LOVE, I CAN FLY SO HIGH/ BUT YOU'RE THE WIND BENEATH MY WINGS!”

 

Mettaton led the round of applause himself. “ _I SEE WE HAVE A TRUE METTATON FAN IN OUR MIDST! AN OLD STANDARD, ONE OF MY EARLIEST SONGS! AND WHAT A RENDITION WE GOT THIS EVENING! A ROUND OF APPLAUSE FOR PAPYRUS!”_

 

The scoreboard flashed with more numbers for her companion: _Passion +100, Talent +200, Pandering +50, Mettaton +500._ She sighed and shrugged; he had done much better than her, if only for his confidence. He sounded so much more alive when he sung than she did, and she felt like a scared little church mouse.

 

“ _THAT CONCLUDES ROUND 1. SADIE, YOU'RE UP!_ ”

 

She sighed, but quickly recalled a jazz ballad her grandmother favored.

 

“ _The moonlight in your eyes could outshine the stars/ The heavens had no angels til you came/ And roses in the garden are blooming like a song/ But yet your answer still remains the same!”_

 

As with Papyrus, the monsters played along with her, and she managed a smile.

 

“ _Can't you see I love you from the depths of the sea/ To the highest mountains reaching for the sun/ No angel song will awe me, no rose will smell as sweet/ Until you and I, my darling, are one.”_

 

Papyrus grinned at her and gave her a hearty thumbs-up, and the scoreboard flashed once again. _Charisma +50, Romance +100._

 

“ _YOUR TURN, PAPYRUS! TAKE US AWAY!_ ”

 

And he actually seemed to be enjoying himself as he strutted forward to start his number. “EVERY MONSTER IN THE UNDERGROUND MAY CHANT MY NAME/ AND LOVE SURROUND ME 'ERE I GO/ YET STILL I'M UNFULFILLED, AND DARLING, YOU'RE TO BLAME/ AND NOW I HAVE TO LET YOU KNOW...”  
  


The monsters in the crowd cheered, and the musicians on backup seemed to know this song as well.

 

“I'LL WAIT FOR YOU! EVEN IF IT TAKES A THOUSAND YEARS/ I'LL STILL BE TRUE! I'LL ALWAYS BE HERE TO DRY YOUR TEARS/ WE MAY NEVER SEE THE SUN/ BUT I'LL BE THE DAWN FOR YOU/ OUR LOVE IS JUST BEGUN/ NOW IT'S THE START OF SOMETHING NEW!”

 

The applause was even louder than on her turn, and she clapped along with them. The song was made better by his strong, sweet tenor voice, and she hoped that Papyrus was the one to win this odd competition they had been thrust into.

 

“ _BEFORE WE GO INTO THE FINAL ROUND, LET'S REVIEW THE SCORE!_ ”

 

Papyrus' numbers had been further boosted by his turn, as _Romance +100, Pandering +100, Confidence +150, Charisma +150_ and _Mettaton +500_ flashed on the screen. There was absolutely no way she could beat him, but she honestly didn't mind if he won.

 

“ _PAPYRUS IS IN THE LEAD WITH 1850 POINTS, AND SADIE HAS 400. A GOOD EFFORT, BUT SHE'LL HAVE TO PULL OUT SOMETHING TRULY INSPIRING TO WIN! LET'S SEE WHAT YOU'VE GOT!_ ”

 

She closed her eyes, taking deep breaths. Even if she was guaranteed to lose, she ought to give Papyrus a good fight on her way out. After all, the skeleton was living his dream being on a show with Mettaton, so she had to give it her best go.

 

“ _If everything ended today/ And all our hopes and dreams were shattered/ Would you stand by me anyway/ Like none of it even mattered?”_

 

The monsters were oddly still, and even Mettaton seemed somewhat subdued as she continued to sing. Papyrus stared at her, his cheekbones bright pink, and she cast away any thought of scoreboards and crowds. Her life was slipping away from her with every minute, and she was determined to fill what was left of it with all the heart and sincerity she could muster.

 

“ _If storms and fires raged around/ And mountains crumbled to the sea/ Together we'd be safe and sound/ If you stayed right here beside me.”_

 

Her heart was pounding out of her chest, but she swayed along to the beat and stepped forward, addressing Papyrus directly and ignoring the rest.

 

“ _So come what may, come siege and fire/ They'll never take my heart's desire/ Winds may blow and storms collide/ They'll never take me from your side.”_

 

If only that were possible...still, the sentiment was still true, even if the facts were against her. If only she could stay here singing for the rest of her days, with the dearest monster in the world beside her.

 

“ _I know that our love will see us through/ Even if the moon and stars may fall! I know that I'll always feel this love for you/ And we'll fight together through it all...”_

 

She felt as if her turn should be over since it felt as if she had been singing for far too long, but Mettaton made no motion to stop her.

 

“ _If life took everything away/ And left me cold and broke and homeless...”_

 

Papyrus' eyes shone with emotion, and she could feel tears streaming down her cheeks.

 

“ _I tell you now, it'd be okay/ With you, I'm rich with every moment.”_

 

She continued on through the pre-chorus, forcing herself to keep her eyes on her skeleton friend, even as more tears wet her face. Her voice cracked a bit, but she managed to finish the song alright. She nearly lost her nerve from the complete lack of reaction from Mettaton. She felt as if she might be doing something wrong.

 

“ _...I know I'll always feel this love for you/ And we'll fight together through it all...yes we'll love each other through it all...”_

 

Her voice died as she bit back a sob, and before she could see how Mettaton had reacted to her turn, or even see her score, Papyrus swept her into a bone-crushing hug, earning raucous applause from the audience.

 

“THAT WAS ABSOPOSITIVELYLUTELY BEAUTIFUL, SADIE! OH, YOU DID SO WELL!

 

“You did awesome too, you know!” she replied, hugging him back with everything in her. “You have such a fantastic voice, Papyrus, and you deserve every point they gave you. Besides, it's your turn now.”

 

He grinned and shushed her, pointing to the scoreboard. _Drama +200, Romance +200, Sincerity +100, Talent +100, Charisma +100, Confidence +100, Lovestruck +200._

 

“What in the world is Lovestruck?” she whispered, hastily dashing away her tears. “I haven't seen that one on the board so far.”

 

“I'M SURE METTATON WILL EXPLAIN.” Papyrus didn't exactly whisper, but he used a quieter tone.

 

“ _WELL, WELL, WELL...WELL WELL WELLY WELL...I DON'T THINK WE'VE SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THAT BEFORE. PAPYRUS, I'M NOT SURE YOU CAN TOP THAT! WHAT'S YOUR RESPONSE?_ ”

 

The skeleton looked at her, his cheekbones nearly glowing pink, then he straightened and took a deep breath.

 

“I'M NOT SURE I CAN TOP IT EITHER. ALTHOUGH I AM VERY GREAT, MY FRIEND SADIE IS JUST AS GREAT, AND HAS COMPLETED HER TURN WITH THE MOST WONDERFUL SONG IMAGINABLE. THEREFORE, I FORFEIT MY TURN.”

 

The crowd gasped, and Sadie frowned at him. “Papyrus, I think you can at least try-”

 

He held up a hand, grinning at her. “I FORFEIT MY TURN, METTATON. I WON'T RUIN THE MOMENT. WHAT'S OUR FINAL SCORE?”

 

She was sure Mettaton was raising an invisible eyebrow at the pair of them. “ _HOW VERY SELFLESS...BEAUTIES AND GENTLEBEAUTIES, OUR FINAL SCORE IS PAPYRUS AT 1850, AND SADIE AT 1400. BUT WE HAVE TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THAT PAPYRUS FORFEITED HIS FINAL TURN. I THINK DOCKING 1,000 POINTS IS MORE THAN FAIR-_ ”

 

“No.”

 

Everyone turned to look at her, and she continued glaring daggers at the robot despite the fact that her cheeks were burning.

 

“He won fair and square. You're not taking any points off his score.”

 

“ _DARLING, I THINK YOU'VE FORGOTTEN THAT THIS IS MY SHOW AND I MAKE THE RULES HERE!_ ”

 

“It's still not fair. He won. I think forfeiting his last turn while he was still ahead and guaranteed to win was a great tactical maneuver, and you should respect that.”

 

“ _FORFEITING AND RISKING RETALIATION INSTEAD OF TAKING HIS TURN TO ENSURE HIS VICTORY? THAT SHOULD BE RESPECTED?_ ”

 

“He said it himself, he didn't think he could sing a good enough song to follow what I did.”

 

Papyrus stepped up beside her. “I'LL TAKE THE DEDUCTION, METTATON. IT'S ONLY FAIR TO FOLLOW YOUR RULES.”

 

“But you'd lose,” she said, turning to him with hands on her hips. “The crowd loved you way more than they tolerated me.”

 

“AND YOU'D WIN. YOU DESERVE THIS, SADIE!”

 

“Just take the win, punk!” she heard Undyne yell from the front table. She turned to look at her friends and saw Frisk and Alphys giving her thumbs-up. Undyne was standing, her one eye glowing brightly as she grinned wolfishly at the stage. And Sans had also shown up at some point, which made Sadie even more determined to let Papyrus take the win he deserved.

 

“I think Papyrus should win, and that's my final word on that matter. It is your show, and you make the rules, but I don't deserve to win this competition.”

 

“I'LL TAKE THE DEDUCTION. I KNEW THE RISK WHEN I DECIDED TO FORFEIT MY TURN.”

 

She turned to him, hoping she could implore him to think differently, but Mettaton was already turning to the crowd.

 

“ _WE'LL LEAVE THIS ARGUMENT UP TO YOU, BEAUTIES! WHO SHOULD WIN THIS COMPETITION? ALL FOR SADIE?_ ”

 

Several hoots and hollers came from the front table and around the restaurant, but the applause was modest at best.

 

“ _ALL FOR PAPYRUS?_ ”

 

The crowd erupted into cheers, and she along with them, and she noted her skeleton friend had tears in his eyes and was waving enthusiastically to the crowd.

 

“I CAN'T BELIEVE IT! I'M POPULAR, SADIE! I'M REALLY POPULAR!”

 

She pulled him into a tight hug. “They all loved you...as they should. You deserve all of this, Papyrus. Take it all in!”

 

A wild, achingly joyful grin overtook his features. “EVER SINCE YOU AND FRISK CAME INTO THE UNDERGROUND, ALL MY DREAMS HAVE BEEN COMING TRUE!”

 

She had no response for that, but she was spared having to come up with one by Mettaton. “ _IT LOOKS LIKE PAPYRUS WON AFTER ALL! ANOTHER ROUND OF APPLAUSE FOR THIS HANDSOME SKELETON!_ ”

 

Sadie led the applause, cheering his name over and over again. What time had she to care about what the crowd thought? They joined in, chanting Papyrus' name over and over again with her. He blushed a brilliant shade of red, and Mettaton pushed him out to the front of the stage.

 

“ _ANYTHING YOU'D LIKE TO SAY TO THE UNDERGROUND AND ALL MY BEAUTIFUL FANS?_ ”

 

“YES!” he shouted, taking a deep, flourishing bow. “THANK YOU SO MUCH TO ALL MY FELLOW FANS OF METTATON OUT THERE! THANK YOU HOTLAND, THANK YOU MONSTERKIND! I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, AM ETERNALLY GRATEFUL FOR YOUR SUPPORT! AND I COULDN'T HAVE DONE THIS WITHOUT MY PARTNER AND DEAR FRIEND, SADIE! PLEASE, SHOW HER YOUR SUPPORT AS WELL!”

 

The crowd obeyed his request and gave her another round of applause, this one a little more enthusiastic than the last. She bowed as Papyrus had and smiled weakly at the onlookers.

 

“ _WELL, BEAUTIES AND GENTLEBEAUTIES, THE ONLY THING LEFT TO DO IS TO GIVE PAPYRUS HIS WONDERFUL PRIZE! I CAN ALREADY FEEL YOUR EXCITEMENT! LET'S FIND OUT WHAT HE WON!_ ”

 

The cat monster trotted out with a box and handed it to Mettaton, who opened it as drums rumbled in the background.

 

“ _TWO TICKETS TO MY NEXT SHOW! WHO COULD HAVE ASKED FOR A BETTER PRIZE?_ ”

 

“WOWIE!” Papyrus exclaimed, taking the tickets with a grin. “THANK YOU SO MUCH, METTATON!”

 

“ _ANYTHING FOR SUCH A LOYAL FAN, DARLING! I THINK WE ALL KNOW WHO YOU SHOULD GIVE THAT OTHER TICKET TO! DON'T THINK WE'VE FORGOTTEN THE CHEMISTRY AND PASSION BETWEEN YOU AND THE HUMAN!_ ”

 

The both of them flushed and looked away from each other, though when she glanced up at Papyrus through her lashes, she thought she spied a shy smile on his face. She smiled too and looked away again.

 

“ _AND THAT, BEAUTIES, IS THE END OF OUR METTATON SPECIAL! TUNE IN NEXT TIME FOR MORE DRAMA, MORE ROMANCE! GOOD NIGHT!_ ”

 

Music blared over the speakers and the crowd applauded, getting to their feet to see Mettaton off the stage. Sadie and Papyrus returned to their table, and everyone smiled and gave them thumbs-up.

 

“You two were great up there!” Undyne said, patting Papyrus on the back so hard he almost collapsed over the table. “You really stole the show. I'm glad you actually made that robot's crazy show entertaining for once.”

 

“WE TRIED OUR BEST, UNDYNE, AND THAT'S WHAT COUNTS!”

 

“And I would have never expected a gutsy move like that from you, Paps!” The warrior chuckled and pulled Alphys to her feet. “I thought Sadie would win for sure!”

 

“Papyrus deserved that win. I'm glad things turned out the way they did,” Sadie said calmly. She almost couldn't hear herself over the rumble of the crowd around them.

 

“you did good, buddy.” She glanced over at Sans, then at the floor. “that sing-off may not have been your _forte_ , but i was moved.”

 

“Thank you, Sans. I'm glad Papyrus won.” Her voice was quiet, and she nodded briefly at him before turning back to his brother.

 

The taller skeleton looked pensive, staring at his tickets. “WELL, UNDYNE, SHALL WE CONTINUE?”

 

“It's getting late, but yes, let's keep on going. Hey Alphy, do you want to go through the Core or take the Capital road?”

 

“T-The C-Core is...u-um...the C-Capital road is l-less confusing, no p-puzzles to figure out a-and all th-that, s-s-so–”

 

“NO PUZZLES? WHERE IS THE FUN IN THAT? UNDYNE, WE SHOULD TAKE THE ROAD THROUGH THE CORE AND TEST OUR SKILL AND KNOWLEDGE!”

 

“Core is it, then,” she said with a wicked grin. “Come on, you lot, we don't want to keep Asgore waiting.”

 

“see you guys in the judgement hall,” Sans said with a lazy grin, and he wondered off towards a windowless, doorless wall. She didn't even bother watching him disappear.

 

With a sigh, she followed Papyrus out the door, smiling as he excitedly predicted what puzzles awaited them, and she gave the resort one last look before they wandered into the cold blue light of the Core.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Into the Core we go!
> 
> Thank you to theMonk009 for the song suggestion. Hope you liked it!
> 
> I would be remiss if I didn't notate the inspirations for all the songs. Although the lyrics are entirely mine, the framework for over half those numbers were drawn from existing works. Dusty Springfield's "I Only Want to Be With You" was the inspiration for Sadie's first number. Papyrus' first number was suggested by theMonk009, and was inspired somewhat by Moulin Rouge's "Elephant Love Song". Sadie's second number was entirely me, but Papyrus' second song was inspired by Ed Sheeran's "Castle on the Hill". And the final song was inspired by "Symphony" by Clean Bandit.


	16. Getting Closer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sadie and friends work their way through the Core, solving puzzles, uncovering hard truths and discovering the joy of romance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed the last chapter, especially theMonk009 and DearyLAWN. Thanks guys!

They made their way through the dissipating crowd, exiting the back door of the lobby and crossing a bridge to enter the Core. The lights emanating from the looming archway glowed an icy blue, and cast its pallid luster on the five of them. Sadie braced herself for the puzzles and challenges that awaited them, and the group filed into the Core, with nary a glance back towards Hotland.

 

Alphys suggested taking the path to their right, but upon moving to the next room, they found a pit of darkness ahead, barely illuminated by crackling flames, and they all conceded that the left-hand path was the correct one. And so they moved on, ignoring the elevator, and Undyne and Papyrus charged ahead of the group, their attention focused on finding traps and puzzles.

 

Alphys waddled behind them, nervously picking at her claws, and Sadie gently took Frisk's hand for a moment, looking down at the child.

 

“Do you want to be up ahead with Papyrus and Undyne?” she whispered to them, and they nodded, smiling brightly at her. She let go of their hand, letting them skip ahead and tug on Papyrus' scarf. He looked down at the child, who pointing to their left towards a dim, narrow hallway, and Undyne squinted at the suggested path.

 

“Yeah, it looks like there might be puzzles down that way, which could only mean it's the correct way to go. Good thinking, Frisk!”

 

“WHAT PERFECT DEDUCTIVE REASONING! COME ALONG, HUMAN FRIENDS, PUZZLES AWAIT US!”

 

He glanced back at her and Alphys, and the two of them quickened their pace, following the rest of the party into the northern hallway.

 

They came across nothing suspicious for a few minutes, but then the hallway turned due east and widened, revealing dimly lit tiles on the floor, laid out in a particular pattern. Frisk tapped Alphys on the shoulder and pointed to several mechanisms at about waist height scattered along the walls, and Undyne noted a switch at the end of the hallway.

 

“This thing probably activates once someone tries to cross,” the fish monster deduced, and everyone nodded along. Papyrus gestured to the note on the wall.

 

“SADIE, COME LOOK AT THIS!”

 

She walked up beside him and read the plaque aloud to the group.

 

“ _They say: FIGHT or choose MERCY/ Stand strong, or run and hide/ Make quick, decisive action/ Or find peace stillness provides/ But I hope you find the balance/ And walk the safest road/ To live between action and peace/ So that others may follow._ A riddle, then. And I suppose life advice if you're looking for it.”

 

“W-walking the safest r-road must r-refer to t-t-the puzzle,” Alphys offered, and Frisk nodded sagely. Papyrus read over the riddle again.

 

“THE AUTHOR PUT A LOT OF EMPHASIS ON THE DICHOTOMY BETWEEN ACTION AND INACTION, AND I SUPPOSE WE COULD EXTEND THAT TO FIGHTING AND MERCY – AN EXTREME REACTION ON BOTH ENDS, EITHER AIMING TO HARM OR REFUSING TO ACT EITHER WAY...”

 

“Alphys, does this look anything like your colored tile maze back in Snowdin Forest?” Sadie asked, and Alphys squinted down the hall.

 

“N-No, not really. There aren't e-enough colors, a-a-and I didn't p-put lasers on the walls b-back in S-Snowdin, or even i-i-in the one in H-Hotland.”

 

“Wait, lasers?” Undyne repeated, and Alphys nodded, pointing them out to the warrior. She grinned and looked at Papyrus, who was reading the riddle again with squinted eyesockets, seemingly lost in concentration.

 

“What about lasers?” she asked to the group, who all seemed more up to speed on monster puzzles than she. It made her feel slightly lost, but Alphys stepped in to explain.

 

“T-There are s-several laser p-puzzles around Hotland that r-r-rely on blue and o-orange magic. Blue magic m-means to st-stay still, but you have t-to m-m-move through the orange lasers to n-not get h-hurt.”

 

“Blue magic like your bone attack, Papyrus?”

 

He nodded, still staring at the riddle, mouthing words to himself. “And then with orange magic, you have to move through it to be safe. Okay...let me read this thing again.”

 

She and Papyrus huddled around the plaque, and she tried not to think about how close he was and instead focus on the riddle.

 

“Make quick, decisive action or find peace stillness provides...is that a reference to the lasers?”

 

“YES, AND THEY OBVIOUSLY ACTIVATE ONCE SOMEONE STEPS ON THE FIRST TILE.” He glanced quickly down the hallway again, examining the floor with a keen gaze. “BUT THERE ARE ONLY BLUE, ORANGE AND GREY TILES...AND THEY SET ASIDE AN ENTIRE STANZA HINTING AT THIS PUZZLE'S SOLUTION, TELLING US TO WALK THE SAFEST ROAD SO WE CAN REACH THE OFF SWITCH AND LET OTHERS IN OUR PARTY PASS THROUGH. IS IT POSSIBLE THAT IF WE ONLY STEP ON THE GREY TILES, NO LASERS WILL ACTIVATE AND WE CAN PASS THROUGH MORE QUICKLY?”

 

“T-That's entirely p-possible, but shouldn't w-we explore e-every option before bl-blindly jumping into t-t-the puzzle?”

 

“YES, THIS IS PERFECTLY REASONABLE,” Papyrus said absentmindedly, staring now at the puzzle floor, his eyesockets flicking quickly over the different tiles. “WHAT OTHER SOLUTIONS DID YOU HAVE IN MIND?”

 

“I-I-I...I-I'm not sure, P-Papyrus...h-honestly, I-I think y-you and S-Sadie and Undyne and F-Frisk can figure this out b-better than me.”

 

“NONSENSE! YOU ARE VERY GREAT, DR. ALPHYS, AND EVERYONE HERE VALUES YOUR OPINION! YOUR PUZZLES WERE MAGNIFICENT ENOUGH TO NOT ONLY RESIDE IN TWO PLACES, BUT ALSO STAND ALONGSIDE MY OWN IN SNOWDIN FOREST!”

 

“You're the Royal Scientist, Alphy, and you created Mettaton! Asgore wouldn't have just picked some chump off the street to serve in his court. He only picks the best! So what do you think the solution is?”

 

She picked at her claws for a moment, staring at the tiles on the floor. “W-Well...I-I think P-Papyrus is on to s-something w-w-with the idea of o-only stepping o-on the grey t-t-tiles...but that's i-impossible to do! T-There's no clear path of o-only grey! T-The person s-s-solving the puzzle h-has to activate at l-least three l-lasers to cross, i-i-if we a-assume our theory i-is correct in that t-the color t-tile on the floor is d-directly related t-to the type of l-laser activated.”

 

“TO DO ANYTHING ELSE IS BAD PUZZLE DESIGN!” Papyrus said, nodding sagely along to Alphys' theory.

 

“I-I-If I'm looking a-a-at it correctly, the f-first laser should b-be b-b-blue, the second orange, a-and the l-last one blue again.”

 

Frisk nodded and gave a thumbs up, and before Sadie could even think, they were stepping onto the first tile, activating the puzzle.

 

“Frisk, wait!” she cried, but it was too late. They were already a third of the way into the puzzle, and they stepped deftly onto their first blue tile and stood still.

 

A laser activated on the left side of the hall, a bright, brilliantly blue laser coming straight for Frisk. Sadie held her breath and clenched her fists, but Frisk stayed perfectly still, letting the laser pass through their little body. It didn't harm them, and they continued along the path. The second laser activated halfway down the hallway, but again, Frisk was ready. As soon as the laser was within reach, the child leapt through it and onto the next gray tile, moving onward unharmed. And soon enough the puzzle was completed and Frisk turned off the switch, letting the tiles deactivate.

 

“Alright!” Undyne yelled, pumping her fist in the air as she led the rest of them over the dormant puzzle. “That's my punk!”

 

“VERY GOOD, TINY HUMAN! YOU'VE DONE SO WELL! SHALL WE PROCEED TO THE NEXT CHALLENGE?”

 

Undyne plopped Frisk onto her shoulders, forging ahead with Alphys following quickly behind. Papyrus took her hand, squeezing it gently as he pulled her along.

 

“SEE, SADIE? FRISK DID VERY WELL ALL ON THEIR OWN. IF THEY ARE TO LEARN AND GROW, THEY MUST FACE CHALLENGES HEAD-ON, WITH PROPER SUPPORT FROM THEIR VERY COOL FRIENDS SHOULD THEY NEED IT, OF COURSE. THE GREAT PAPYRUS IS NOT CRUEL. I STRIVE TO BE PLEASANT AND HELPFUL AT ALL TIMES! PAPYRUS, HE SMELLS LIKE THE MOON!”

 

She snorted in surprise, descending into a fit of giggles at his statement. “Well, I can't really confirm or deny that. I've never been to the moon.”

 

“PERHAPS SOME DAY WE'LL GO!”

 

“Hopefully more of us can. Humans have already landed on the moon a few times, but if all our space research teams get defunded, there's not much chance of living up there, you know? I've heard some private companies are funding research and development, and there was hope for a sending a colony ship to Mars, but I haven't heard much more on that.”

 

“YOU SHOULD TALK TO SANS ABOUT ALL THIS! HE LOVES SCI-FI AND OUTER SPACE STUFF!”

 

She paused and let go of his hand, wondering if there was a polite way of saying no. She couldn't think of anything. “Yeah, maybe, if we have time.”

 

He glanced at her sidelong, his eyesockets shining with a knowing look.

 

“I KNOW YOU DON'T LIKE MY BROTHER.”

 

She stayed silent, watching Alphys' tail whip around the next corner, but she was amazed that Papyrus was able to speak so softly. It wasn't a whisper, but it was quieter than his usual volume.

 

“NO MATTER WHAT HE'S TOLD YOU, HE WOULD NEVER HURT YOU. EVEN IF HE WANTED TO, I WOULD NEVER ALLOW IT. YOU'RE MY FRIEND, SADIE. YOU'VE MADE IT SO FAR WITHOUT HURTING A SINGLE SOUL. AND I KNOW MY BROTHER. HE CAN BE DIFFICULT TO TALK TO MOST OF THE TIME, AND HE DOESN'T TELL ME MUCH OF WHAT'S GOING ON IN HIS LIFE...BUT HE WOULD NEVER HURT YOU.”

 

He looked over at her again, his gaze searching this time, but she avoided eye contact.

 

“HAS HE SAID SOMETHING UNKIND TO YOU? YOU ALWAYS FREEZE WHEN HE SPEAKS TO YOU, NOT TO MENTION YOU NEVER MAKE EYE CONTACT WITH HIM. PLEASE, SADIE. TELL ME SO I CAN HELP MAKE THINGS RIGHT FOR YOU.”

 

She was quiet for a moment. “He was just worried for you, Papyrus. It's all in the past.”

 

“IT'S NOT! YOU ARE STILL HOLDING ON TO WHATEVER HE SAID, AND IF I'M READING YOU CORRECTLY, YOU'RE AFRAID OF HIM! I'M NOT A BABYBONES, AND IF HE'S GOING AROUND SCARING MY FRIENDS, I WANT TO KNOW! IT'S UNACCEPTABLE!”

 

She remained silent, staring straight ahead as they came to the next puzzle, slowing to a halt behind Undyne, Frisk and Alphys.

 

“MAYBE YOU'RE NOT COMFORTABLE ENOUGH AROUND ME TO TELL ME WHAT HAPPENED, BUT HOPEFULLY ONE DAY YOU'LL TRUST ME ENOUGH TO TELL ME. IF SANS HAS WRONGED YOU SOMEHOW, THAT SHOULDN'T GO UNADDRESSED. AND IF POSSIBLE, I'D LIKE FOR YOUR FRIENDSHIP TO BE RESTORED! YOU HAVE MORE IN COMMON THAN YOU REALIZE!”

 

“Thank you, Papyrus,” she said quietly, willing the tears in her eyes not to fall. “That means more to me than you know.”

 

“NYEH HEH, OF COURSE!” He was back to his normal volume. “I DON'T WANT FOR MY DEAR HUMAN FRIEND TO BE UPSET! YOU DESERVE TO BE HAPPY, AND I WANT TO HELP YOU ACHIEVE THAT HAPPINESS!”

 

“What's all this about Sans?” Undyne asked. “What did that bonehead do now?”

 

Frisk signed something before she could respond, and Papyrus frowned, stomping his foot on the ground as he put his hands on his hipbones.

 

“I KNEW IT! I KNEW THAT HE SCARED YOU!”

 

“Sans scared her?” Undyne grinned. “You think Sans is scary, human?”

 

Sadie sighed in frustration, shaking her head. “I'd rather not talk about this, Undyne.”

 

The fish monster held up her hands, silently conceding to her wish. “Okay, okay, Sans is a bonehead sometimes, but don't let it get to you, alright? Help us out with this next puzzle.”

 

This immediately caught Papyrus' attention, and Sadie forced her thoughts away from the shorter skeleton brother to concentrate on the task at hand.

 

Before them stretched a maze of lasers, spikes, colored tiles, conveyor belts and pits of fire, an impossible labyrinth of death. Papyrus looked overjoyed, and Undyne cackled gleefully. “Now this is a challenge!” she shouted, rubbing her hands together.

 

“SOMEONE IS GIVING MY GAUNTLET OF DEADLY TERROR A RUN FOR ITS MONEY!” Papyrus said, his eyesockets somehow gleaming in mischief.

 

“Well...nothing for it,” she muttered to herself, swallowing thickly. “Let's get this over with.”

 

…

 

“Watch out for those lasers, Frisk – Undyne, fire to your right – Papyrus, please don't hit that wall of spikes! Be careful!”

 

Of course she would be trapped behind a stupid blue laser five minutes into the puzzle.

 

Alphys was currently trying to hack into the puzzle's inner workings to rescue her while Papyrus, Undyne and Frisk continued on, attempting to work their way to the other side of the labyrinth. Almost immediately upon starting, she had noticed a raised portion of the puzzle – a podium of sorts – and volunteered to try to get to it to direct everyone else. Papyrus agreed to it, and Undyne nodded quickly before working through a stretch of colored tiles (the kid at her heels), but as soon as Sadie reached the podium, blue lasers surrounded her on all sides, effectively trapping her until the puzzle was solved.

 

“Ngaaaahhh!” Undyne roared, chucking a spear at the pipe the fire sprouted from. “If I was afraid of a little fire, I wouldn't be Captain of the Royal Guard, now would I?”

 

“I'm just trying to warn you of the danger around you!” Sadie called back. The lasers were hot, and she was starting to get antsy from being trapped in this little box for so long. “You know, like a good friend?”

 

“Fine, friend, where to next? See, I'm communicating effectively with you, LIKE A GOOD FRIEND!”

 

It seemed this labyrinth was getting to Undyne too.

 

“IF YOU TWO DON'T STOP FIGHTING, WE'LL NEVER SOLVE THE PUZZLE!” Papyrus chided. He quickly ran through a patch of colored tiles as if it were nothing, and she was momentarily distracted while she watched him work. He summoned a bone and used it to vault himself over a wall of flames, ending up on the other side with a landing worthy of an action hero.

 

“I'm waiting, human! If you're so concerned about what's around me, why are you making goo-goo eyes at your boyfriend?”

 

The skeleton turned bright pink and looked as if he were making a concentrated effort to avoid eye contact with her. Sadie felt her face flushing too, but from the heat of the lasers or Undyne's teasing, she wasn't quite sure. “More flames in front of you, and beyond that, it looks like two orange lasers and then three blue!” she called out, and Undyne cackled madly as she resumed the puzzle.

 

“A-Almost got it!” Alphys called to her, only her tail visible as she buried herself in a power box behind her. “Y-You'll be f-free in a second, I-I-I promise!”

 

“Thank you, Alphys,” she said, gripping the hem of her shirt as Frisk calmly dove through an orange laser and rolled past a pit of fire, coming to their feet as if it were nothing and they did this every day. “Hey Undyne, that conveyor belt you're on ends in a wall of spikes, so be prepared to bail!”

 

“Got it!” she shouted back, and once the belt she was on passed through a blue laser, she leapt off onto another belt that led to safety. “How much more of this mess do we have to wade through?”

 

“You're about two-thirds of the way through!” Sadie replied. “I can see the end up ahead of Frisk. Papyrus, watch out for that fire pit!”

 

“RIGHT-O!” he said with a wink (which, oddly, she could almost hear from her prison), and he vaulted over the pit with another bone attack, waving at her as he reached the arc of his jump. She gave him a thumbs-up, and he landed safely, rolling quickly through the two orange lasers coming towards him.

 

Undyne seemed to waltz as she navigated through another field of lasers, and she laughed at the sight of Papyrus leaping over obstacles with his bone attack. “You call that impressive, punk?” she said with a mischievous glint in her eye. “Watch this!”

 

She chucked several spears at a wall of spikes and leapt onto the first one, seemingly gliding through the air as she grabbed each handle, effortlessly climbing the wall like a mountain lion on the prowl.

 

“I-I-I've hacked into the m-m-main control p-panel, so I-I should be able t-t-to – there! T-That should...no – oh g-g-god, wait, th-that's not it!”

 

Undyne had almost reached the top of the wall before it started sinking into the floor, and the sudden shift in momentum made the warrior lose her grip, and she fell towards the ground as Sadie gasped.

 

“UNDYNE!” Papyrus shouted, reaching out with his hand, perhaps to capture her soul with his blue magic, but it was too late. Undyne hit the floor with a sickening _thud_ , and then the puzzle went dark, all mechanisms stopping, lasers disappearing, and conveyor belts clunking to a halt. Frisk had reached the end, and had turned the puzzle off.

 

Everyone rushed to Undyne, and Papyrus reached her first, falling to his knees and sobbing over her. Sadie felt bile rise in her throat at the thought of the fish monster perishing, but Alphys seemed nigh inconsolable as she pulled Undyne out of Papyrus' arms and clutched her body to her chest, stroking the fish woman's hair as tears ran down her yellow cheeks.

 

“O-O-Oh, Undyne, I-I-I'm so s-s-sorry! I-I-I should have double checked, a-a-and now you've f-f-fallen d-down and I'll n-never get t-t-to t-t-t-tell you...I'll n-never get t-to tell you how m-much I-I...oh, Undyne, p-please wake up...”

 

Frisk had arrived back at their sides, slowly rubbing Alphys' back as the lizard monster pressed her forehead to her friend's, her tears splashing onto Undyne's scaly face.

 

Papyrus was shaking with the force of his sobbing, watching through his gloves for any sign that Undyne was okay. Sadie pulled him into her arms and stroked his skull, watching as Alphys held Undyne tighter.

 

“I-I-I should h-have told you s-s-so long ago...I-I...I-I really like you, Undyne...I think I might l-love you...please don't go...p-please don't leave me h-here alone...”

 

She broke down into sobs, and Papyrus wailed into Sadie's shoulder, holding her tight against his bony frame. She squeezed him back, automatically shh-ing him; she couldn't think of anything else to do. Tears sprung to her eyes, and she pressed her cheek against Papyrus' skull.

 

Then, Undyne took a deep breath, and she shifted, slowly coming to.

 

“Papyrus, look!”

 

He turned towards his captain and gasped in relief as Undyne opened her good eye, staring up at Alphys with a lazy smile.

 

“You really mean it, Alphys?” she whispered hoarsely. “You really love me?”

 

“Undyne!”

 

Alphys didn't even answer the question, but pulled her up into a bone-crushing (or scale-crushing?) hug, rocking her back and forth as her tears began anew. “Y-Y-You're alright!”

 

“Yeah, just got knocked out for a sec...but Alphys...did you mean it?”

 

The lizard monster turned red and looked down at the ground, mumbling something about heat of the moment, but then Undyne reached out and gently lifted Alphys' chin, and their lips met in a soft, gentle kiss.

 

Sadie felt her cheeks get warm as Alphys relaxed into Undyne, both their eyes closing as their kiss became more heated. She could hear Frisk giggling as they skipped over to her, and Papyrus squeezed her ribcage as his _nyeh_ -ing rung in her ear.

 

“I KNEW IT!” he shouted, squeezing her closer to him. “I KNEW THEY WERE IN LOVE! OH, HOW ROMANTIC! DOESN'T IT JUST MAKE YOUR SOUL SING, HUMANS?”

 

Frisk chuckled and gave him a thumbs-up, burrowing into his side until they had joined her in Papyrus' embrace. He hummed in contentment, nuzzling his nasal bone into her hair as his gloved hand caressed her stomach. “OH, MY DEAR FRIENDS, I DON'T THINK I COULD GET ANY HAPPIER!”

 

She sighed in agreement, rubbing her cheek against his shoulder as she turned to face him as best she could. His eyesockets were dark, his cheekbones dusted pink, but his expression softened as he looked down at her.

 

She felt a tug at her sleeve, and she glanced over at Frisk, who waggled their eyebrows at her, pointing at Papyrus with a wicked grin. She flushed and looked back at the skeleton, who looked much more pink than before.

 

But she smiled anyway and pulled him into a tight hug, resting her head on his shoulder. “I'm glad you're happy,” she whispered. “It makes me happy to see you happy.”

 

She thought she heard whispering behind her (it seemed like Alphys and Undyne had finally broken apart), but she simply squeezed Papyrus one more time and dislodged herself from his embrace, standing quickly. She held out her hand to help him up.

 

“Shall we, then? Good job on finishing the puzzle, Frisk, you did great.”

 

Frisk nodded, and Papyrus accepted her hand, easily getting to his feet and brushing off his battle body. “WELL, I SUPPOSE IT IS TIME FOR US TO GO ON. IF THE LOVEBIRDS OVER THERE ARE FINISHED WITH THEIR CANOODLING!” He smirked at Undyne and Alphys, who stood ready to go, side-by-side, both of their cheeks dusted red.

 

“Canoodling? You're one to talk, Papyrus! What in the hell have you been doing with the human for the last five minutes, discussing puzzle theory?!”

 

Alphys chuckled as Sadie felt another rush to her cheeks, and she sighed, forcing a smile on her face. “It's great to see you're alright, Undyne. You had us worried sick.”

 

“It's going to take more than one lousy fall to take me down, human!”

 

Papyrus winked at her and linked his arm in Sadie's, then reached out his free hand for Frisk to take. “ARE WE READY TO MOVE ON, THEN? WE'RE NEARLY THROUGH THE CORE, AND SOON WE'LL BE IN ASGORE'S CASTLE! I'VE ONLY EVER SEEN IT FROM THE OUTSIDE, BUT UNDYNE CAN TELL YOU ALL ABOUT ITS MAGNIFICENCE!”

 

“It's really not that fancy, Papyrus! Asgore likes to keep things simple, and his house is just as simple. Sure, he has his castle for state functions and meetings and all that rigamaroll, but his day-to-day living is just as simple as you or me. And you can see that in his house.”

 

Frisk nodded in agreement, giving Sadie a thumbs-up, and with her arm still linked with Papyrus, they continued on through the Core.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're getting really close now! And huzzah for Alphyne, the cutest couple in Undertale.
> 
> Hey, are you looking for more awesome Undertale fics? Then go check out "Bones, Picked Clean" by lulu-writes! It's a fantastic read!


	17. At the End of the Road

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sadie hears the sad tale of the young prince and the first human to fall Underground, and is judged by Sans.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, I can't believe how quickly this chapter came together! I put on "Undertale" and "The Choice" and banged out this chapter in less than a day. And I drew up some artwork to go with it too. I'll post that later to my deviantart page.
> 
> Anyway, I hope you enjoy the chapter.

Sadie grew quiet (or at least quieter than usual) as they exited the Core and entered an elevator that would apparently take them straight to Asgore's castle. Undyne had been worried that Mettaton would stop them before they could reach it, but they didn't see bolt nor wire of the showhost robot anywhere. Alphys seemed relieved, and nuzzled her snout into Undyne's arm as they stood side-by-side in the lift.

 

Papyrus glanced at her, his browbone furrowing in worry, but he said nothing. His cheeks flushed red though, and she caught him looking away when she tried to catch his eye and ask him what was up. Frisk giggled again, which made Sadie smile. But her stomach was twisting into knots inside her, and she took deep, steadying breaths.

 

“DON'T BE NERVOUS,” Papyrus whispered to her, and she leaned her head on his shoulder, closing her eyes. The elevator ride was taking much longer than she thought it should. “THE KING WILL BE VERY NICE TO YOU, I KNOW IT. TRUST ME.”

 

“I trust you,” she murmured back, rubbing her cheek over his sleeve. “But I'm not sure if anything anyone says will make me not be nervous. But I'll be alright, okay?”

 

He put his arm around her and gave her a strong squeeze, and she sighed, opening her eyes as the elevator slowed to a halt.

 

“Almost there!” Undyne announced, taking Alphys' hand in hers and leading the group onward. “Maybe Asgore's at home making tea! He loves having visitors.”

 

“Y-Y-Yeah, one time h-he sent me a t-teacup that looked l-like me. He's really n-nice, S-Sadie.”

 

“The king is the biggest, fluffiest pushover you could ever imagine!” Undyne said, punching her playfully in the shoulder. “Like seriously, he's covered in fur! And he'll listen to you...he really listens to his subjects. And it might not hurt to mention how in love you are with a certain skeleton, you know? Wouldn't hurt your cause!”

 

Alphys snickered, but managed to cover it with a cough, and Sadie noticed Frisk give Undyne a subtle high five behind her back. She nodded mutely, clutching tightly to Papyrus as they continued onward towards the castle. The battlements were silent as a grave, though she thought she could hear a distant, tinkling melody, like something out of a music box. The entire Capital sprawled out below her, lit dimly in the low light of the cavern, and she paused a moment to take it all in.

 

“The Capital's getting kind of crowded these days,” Undyne said with a shrug. “I've already seen fifteen new residents move to Waterfall in the last two months alone.”

 

“It's time for a change, then,” Sadie replied, still staring out over the city. “I hope the king and I can make something happen to fix your problems.”

 

“THE KING WILL LOVE YOU, SADIE! YOU'LL MAKE A NEW FRIEND BEFORE THE END OF THE EVENING, MARK MY WORDS! AND THEN YOU'LL HAVE TO ADMIT THAT YOU WERE AFRAID FOR NOTHING, AND YOU'LL SMILE AGAIN! EVERYTHING WILL BE ALRIGHT!”

 

His statement nearly made her burst into tears, but she took a deep breath and offered him the smile he wanted. “Thank you, Papyrus. I appreciate you trying to make me feel better. No one could have asked for a better friend than you.”

 

Frisk took her hand in theirs and lead her onward, and soon they were entering a small courtyard with a tree planted in its center. The house looked eerily familiar, and once they stepped inside, the sense of familiarity became stronger.

 

“Toriel?” she whispered to herself, and Frisk looked up at her, nodding slowly. Sadie glanced around, her eyes falling on the stairwell leading the basement.

 

“Asgore! You home? You've got company!” Undyne shouted into the sitting area, and Papyrus strode off to check the rooms down the hall to the right. Alphys fiddled with her claws, then followed Undyne into the kitchen. But they had no luck and came back to the stairwell.

 

“He must be in the garden downstairs,” the captain reasoned, and they all headed down the stairs into the basement. The layout of the hall looked so eerily familiar, as if she had gone back in time to the Ruins. But everything was grey instead of the lovely purple hue of Toriel's home.

 

They got another view of the Capital as they turned the corner, and while the others admired the view, she heard something move behind her and immediately whipped around, thinking for a wild moment that Asgore had somehow missed them and was now following them.

 

But it wasn't Asgore. A lowly Froggit hopped closer to her, ribbiting quietly as she knelt to greet it.

 

“Hello, human. You've come a long way,” it croaked, and unbidden tears welled in her eyes.

 

“Oh my god,” she whispered. “Are you...?”

 

“We have not met before, but it is very nice to make your acquaintance,” the monster replied evenly. A tear trickled down her cheek anyway, but she smiled anyway and reached out for its pad, which it placed in her hand. “My name is Leopold, and our king has bidden me to tell you the sad tale of what happened here long ago. Do you have time to listen?”

 

By now, all her companions had noticed her absence from their side and came to crowd around her. Alphys waved politely at the frog, and Papyrus crouched down to shake his pad as she had done. And Frisk laid their hand on Leopold's head; the Froggit looked pleased.

 

“Do you have time to listen to our sad tale, human?”

 

Undyne sighed, but leaned against a wall, apparently resigning herself to this story. Papyrus plopped down on the walkway, his eyes intent on the Froggit. Alphys sat as well, and Frisk positioned themselves in Papyrus' lap, ready for the story. So Sadie adjusted herself, sitting down between Alphys and Papyrus.

 

“Okay,” she said, focusing her attention fully on the monster in front of her. “We're ready.”

 

Leopold nodded.

 

“ _A long time ago, the king and queen had a child. One day, the child was playing in the Ruins and found a human. Injured and afraid, the human still allowed the young prince to take them to the king and queen, and in their MERCY, the royals adopted the human as their second child, letting them stay with them. The two children were inseparable, and the Underground was full of hope. How could we not be with a human as our ally?_ ”

 

Tears began welling in her eyes again, but she hastily dashed them away.

 

“ _But one day, the human fell ill. There was nothing we could do. The human's only wish before they died was to see the golden flowers that grew in their village. But we could not fulfill that wish. And then...and then..._ ”

 

Papyrus gasped, clutching tightly to Frisk, and Sadie bowed her head, already knowing the answer.

 

“ _The human died._ ”

 

Alphys closed her eyes, tears streaming down her cheeks as well, and Papyrus was already looking very upset. Frisk stayed silent as a grave, tears in their eyes too. Sadie swallowed around the lump in her throat and nodded for Leopold to continue.

 

“ _Wracked with grief, the young prince absorbed the human's soul, and became something...powerful, and amazing, and terrifying. He went down to the village, carrying the dead human in his arms, and laid them to rest in the golden flowers at the center of the town.”_

 

Sadie frowned in surprise; she remembered visiting a nursing home the next town over when she was younger, and one of the women there told her a story about a huge monster that came into Ebott Town square one evening, the human child he had killed dead in his arms. She didn't believe the story then, but now, after everything she had seen...

 

And the woman told her the monster had been beaten back, injured beyond belief, but had managed to escape. Everyone thought that maybe he was still on the mountain somewhere, until the story faded into local legend and no one believed it anymore. But now, she knew the truth, which meant this story couldn't have a happy ending.

 

“ _The villagers saw the prince, and attacked him. He could have slaughtered them all, but instead he smiled, picked up the human child, and walked back to the Underground.”_

 

Frisk's hand found hers, and she squeezed tightly. She noted Papyrus silently weeping, clutching tightly to the child in his lap as if they might die, but she reached over and rubbed his back, trying to quell her own tears and stay strong for the two of them.

 

“ _When the prince reached the garden, he collapsed, and faded into dust. The Royal Family had lost two children in one night, and the Underground was full of despair.”_

 

Undyne reached out and gripped Papyrus' shoulder.

 

“ _In a fit of anger, the king declared war on humanity. No human that enters here may leave alive, as he promised to take their souls and destroy the barrier. The queen, disgusted with his actions, decided to leave this place, and was never seen again.”_

 

Papyrus gasped, and moved Frisk under one arm while he drew Sadie closer to him, pulling her into a protective embrace. He looked like he might want to say something, but he stayed silent so that Leopold could finish the story.

 

“ _Six humans have fallen down here, and all have faced King Asgore. Only one more soul, and the barrier will be destroyed, and all of monsterkind will be free again.”_

 

The Froggit offered something like a smile to them, and tilted his head. “ _Aren't you excited? Aren't you happy? We're about to see freedom for the first time in one thousand years.”_

 

He looked straight into her eyes, his expression a mix of hope and dread and sadness and joy. “You're going to be free.”

 

Then he hopped away, leaving them sitting there in silence.

 

“So now you know everything,” Undyne croaked, and Sadie looked back at her to see the captain wiping tears from her eyes. “Now you know why we have to do this.”

 

Papyrus pulled her closer, then silently got to his feet, settling Frisk on his hip while he took her hand. “I BELIEVE ASGORE WILL LISTEN TO YOU, SADIE. WHAT HAPPENED WAS TRAGIC AND WRONG, BUT NOW WE HAVE TO FIND SOME OTHER WAY TO BREAK THE BARRIER. I BELIEVE YOU CAN CONVINCE THE KING TO STOP THIS CYCLE OF VIOLENCE, AND I BELIEVE WE WILL SEE THE SURFACE IF WE JUST WORK HARD ENOUGH.”

 

He pulled her even closer, his eyesockets shining with something bold and strong, something that made chills run down her spine. _Determination._

 

“WE WILL SEE THE SURFACE AGAIN, SADIE. WE WILL FREE MONSTERKIND. ALL OF US. UNDYNE AND ALPHYS AND FRISK AND SANS AND ASGORE, AND YOU AND ME. ALL OF US TOGETHER. RIGHT?”

 

For the first time in a while, hope flared in her chest, and she gripped his gloved hand as she placed it over her heart. “Right,” she said firmly. “I'll talk to Asgore and convince him that it's time to end this. If nothing else...anyway, isn't Sans waiting on us?”

 

Papyrus nodded and gripped her hand harder, pulling her along, taking the lead with her and Frisk in tow.

 

She blinked as they came to the next room; she hadn't seen sunlight in days, so the shafts of fading, ruddy light streaming from the surface above them made her start. The shadows cutting across the floor were deep and dark, and she saw a short, shadowy figure waiting for them halfway down the hall.

 

“so you've finally arrived at the end of your journey,” a deep familiar voice said as they approached. She let go of Papyrus' hand and stepped forward, her chin held high as she awaited Sans' judgment. “soon you will meet king asgore, and decide on the fate of this world. but now, you will be judged. you will be judged for every EXP you've earned, for every bit of LOVE you've gained.”

 

Sans took a deep breath, and she frowned at him. “what is EXP? it stands for 'Execution Points'. LOVE, too, is an acronym. it stands for 'Level of Violence'. the more you hurt, the more EXP you earn. as your EXP increases, so does your LOVE, your capacity to hurt, your willingness to harm others. the more you hurt others, the more willing you are to kill.”

 

He stared at her with dark eyesockets, but there was something warm there, something she had rarely seen in his expression. “but you...you never gained any LOVE. you stayed true to your word, and went through the underground without hurting a single soul. even if you had to fight, you did it for the sake of your friends. even though your soul trait is integrity, sadie baker, i think you have more determination than most who have passed through this hall. you may not have found LOVE, but you found love. does that make sense?”

 

She breathed a sigh of relief and nodded firmly, tears welling in her eyes again. How much had she cried today? How many more tears would be shed before the solution to all their problems could be found?

 

“king asgore is waiting for you, and you must go and decide on the fate of this kingdom. will you kill the king, and take his soul to go home? will you allow him to take the seventh soul we need to break the barrier? i don't know what the answer is. i would have thrown in the towel a long time ago. you've got some guts, buddy, i'll give you that much. whatever you decide, we're all here behind you. all of monsterkind, all across the underground, is waiting for you to make your decision. i just hope it's the right one.”

 

He turned, as if to leave, but she stepped forward. “Wait!” she cried, and he paused. She held out her hand, offering him a smile.

 

He stared at her a moment, but then took her hand. She gently drew him closer, leaning down close to him.

 

“What did the sheriff say when he saw a plate of spaghetti at a crime scene?” she whispered, and his face lit up in anticipation.

 

“what did he say?”

 

“'Don't touch that pasta, it's a _sauce_ -spect.'”

 

He grinned, his eyesockets almost sparkling, and then he broke out in a low, gravely chuckle. “i haven't heard that one, buddy. nice one.”

 

She smiled in appreciation. “Glad you liked it. It was good to meet you, Sans.”

 

“hey, don't talk like that. king asgore is a great guy. he'll listen to you.”

 

“If there's any chance he won't...”

 

Sans frowned at her, but sighed and clasped her shoulder. “you can do it, kid.”

 

“SANS, DON'T RUN OFF JUST YET. WE NEED TO TALK.”

 

Somehow (perhaps through magic), Sans' skull began to sweat. “what about, bro?”

 

“WE'LL TALK IN A MOMENT, BROTHER. UNDYNE, MAY I GO WITH THE HUMANS TO TALK WITH KING ASGORE?”

 

“What? Papyrus, no, you're not allowed!”

 

“WHY NOT?”

 

“You don't have clearance for this type of thing, and...ugh, when you become a member of the Royal Guard, you'll be able to go, but for now, you're still in training! The humans have this under control. And if they need our help, they can always come back and ask for it! Now get in there and negotiate, dudes. You got this!”

 

Sadie smiled and pulled Undyne into a hug, and despite the fact that the warrior stiffened at the contact, once Frisk joined in, she relaxed and patted the kid on the head.

 

“Alright, enough sap! Get going! Asgore's waiting on you!”

 

Sadie chuckled despite the fact that she felt like she might burst into tears or die from panic, and she turned to Alphys and pulled her into a hug. “Thank you for all your help, Alphys,” she sighed into the lizard monster's shoulder. “You're a great friend, and I'm so happy for you and Undyne.”

 

Alphys just silently returned the hug and gave her a shaky thumbs-up when she pulled away.

 

Lastly, she turned to Papyrus.

 

His eyesockets shone with hope as she drew him close, and she held him tight. “I don't want to let go,” she whispered to him, squeezing him hard. “I just...I wanted to say...you're the most wonderful person I've ever met in my entire life. I am so, _so_ glad I met you, and I cannot tell you how much your friendship and your encouragement mean to me. I just...god, I don't want to let go!”

 

“OH, SADIE...I KNOW YOU'RE SCARED! BUT I BELIEVE WHOLEHEARTEDLY IN YOUR ABILITY TO TALK ASGORE DOWN. I KNOW YOU CAN DO IT! AND IF YOU NEED HELP, JUST LET US KNOW! WE'VE ALL GOT YOUR BACK!”

 

She laughed, smiling at all of them, even Sans (who gave her a wink and a thumbs-up), and after a moment's hesitation, she turned back to Papyrus and pressed a gentle, lingering kiss on his cheek.

 

“Thank you so much, Papyrus. Thank you for everything!” she whispered, and turned away to hold out her hand to Frisk, who waved in thanks (and perhaps goodbye) to all their friends. She forced herself to not look back, to not notice the bright red flush spreading over Papyrus' cheekbones. She forced herself to not listen to Undyne and Alphys giggling and teasing the skeleton about 'canoodling with his girlfriend'. She forced herself to block out the pun Sans made to his brother, and she clutched tightly to Frisk's hand and walked beneath the shadowy archway that lead to King Asgore, and the fate of all monsterkind, and her life.

 

…

 

Papyrus watched her go, his skull still burning. What tenderness! What quiet passion! She truly was an amazing human, and he had to clench his fists to stop himself from following her. What if Asgore didn't listen? What if everything went wrong?  
  


No, he told himself. Sadie was capable and smart, and she had Frisk, the most persuasive human to ever walk the Underground. If the two of them couldn't talk down Asgore, no one could.

 

His blush faded as he turned to Undyne and Sans. “I KNEW DEEP DOWN THAT ASGORE WAS TAKING SOULS, BUT I NEVER WANTED TO ADMIT IT TO MYSELF. I SHOULD HAVE FACED THAT IN MYSELF LONG AGO. I JUST WISH I WOULD HAVE FACED IT SOONER SO I COULD HAVE WORKED HARDER, AND BECOME A GUARDSMAN BEFORE THE HUMANS FELL DOWN HERE. THEN I COULD HAVE TAKEN THEM MYSELF TO THE KING AND NEGOTIATED ON THEIR BEHALF.”

 

He took a deep breath even though he technically didn't need to breathe. “BUT I BELIEVE THE TWO OF THEM CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE. IF ANYONE CAN STOP THIS WAR, IT'S OUR FRIENDS. AND WE HAVE TO SUPPORT THEM, NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS! WE HAVE TO BELIEVE THAT THOSE TWO HUMANS, WHO NEVER HURT A SINGLE SOUL, CAN LEAD BY EXAMPLE AND USE THEIR COMBINED SKILL TO NEGOTIATE FOR THEMSELVES, AND FOR ALL MONSTERS! ISN'T THAT RIGHT, SANS?”

 

“yeah, bro, i know they can do it.”

 

He paused for dramatic effect, then narrowed his eyesockets. “THEN WHY DID YOU THREATEN SADIE?”

 

His brother started to sweat, but Papyrus didn't let up in his unrelenting stare. “what are you talking about, paps?”

 

He took another deep breath. “YOU KNOW EXACTLY WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT, SANS. NOW PLEASE...EXPLAIN.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, the working title for this chapter was "The One Where Sadie Cries Alot, and Papyrus Calls Out Everyone on Their BS and Grows As a Character". I'm really proud of the way Papyrus turned out in this one: I wanted him to be supportive despite the sad realization that Asgore isn't as perfect as he had hoped. Hey, if he can stand up to a murderous human and offer to keep them on the straight and narrow, knowing that Asgore is capable of goodness would make him even more determined to turn this situation around. 
> 
> And as for why no one goes with Sadie and Frisk to the king? Well, no one did that in the game, so...yeah. Besides, Papyrus wants to let them try on their own before he steps in (if anything goes wrong, which he knows won't happen...right?).

**Author's Note:**

> I've always thought Froggits were really cute.
> 
> Hope you guys enjoyed this! Thanks again for reading, and don't forget to check out kairi196's "Healingtale"! Seriously, it's well worth your time!


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